


The Shadow in the Valley

by frogonalog



Category: Alien vs Predator (2004), Aliens vs Predators Series - Various Authors, Predator Original Series (1987-1990), Predators (2010), The Predator (2018)
Genre: (don't worry the predator isn't the one to do that he's a king), (well slow-ish), Alien Culture, Alien Sex, Attempted Sexual Assault, Blood and Gore, Cowboys & Cowgirls, Creampie, Dry Humping, Exophilia, Explicit Consent, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Drinking, Interspecies Romance, Mutual Pining, POV Multiple, Serious Injuries, Size Difference, Slow Burn, Wild West, Xenophilia, sheaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:47:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 62,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26073640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frogonalog/pseuds/frogonalog
Summary: Tarei'hsan is a yautja arbitrator who hunts bad bloods across the galaxy. The search for his latest prey has brought him to a desert on the ooman homeworld.Willow 'Billie' Mayfield is a bounty hunter on the frontiers of the American West, her work taking her from one town to the next.A chance meeting between the two leads to an unlikely partnership that neither could have expected.
Relationships: Predator/Human, Yautja (Predator)/Original Female Character(s), Yautja/Human
Comments: 352
Kudos: 383
Collections: Wasn't Quite Expecting This (But I Loved It)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so this is my first real fic I've posted here. I was inspired by many other great yautja/human works by people here on AO3 (go check out my bookmarks if you're interested!)
> 
> I'd appreciate it if you took the time to let me know what you think! And if you see any typos/errors/what have you, please let me know.

Tarei'hsan was perched on the branch of a scrubby tree as he watched the two _ooman_ males from afar. They were currently squabbling over a heavy wooden chest, though Tarei'hsan neither knew nor cared what was in it.

_ H'ulij-bpe oomans _ , he thought, shaking his head. Their fight had started as an exchange of heated words, but the taller one suddenly reared back his fist and punched the other. A spray of red came from the other man’s face as knuckles connected with cartilage. After reeling back a bit, the shorter man wiped the blood streaming from his nose and then tackled his companion with a yell. 

Tarei'hsan was unimpressed by their fight, he had seen youngbloods throw harder punches, but at least they were not complete weaklings. There would be some amount of sport in hunting them and he couldn’t afford to be choosy. He had not yet found any worthy prey in this desert, and he had begun to itch for a good hunt. 

He had been sent to the ooman planet to capture an ic'jit that had fled there. Not long after Tarei'hsan landed did he find the wreckage of the ic'jit’s ship in the middle of a desert. The fugitive must have crashed in his haste to escape another arbitrator - Tarei'hsan’s old friend from back when they both trained for their chivas. His hunt brother had asked him to take up the hunt in his stead. Apparently there was some pressing matter that needed attending back on Yautja Prime. Tarei'hsan had a feeling that his hunt brother simply didn’t want to spend any time on the ooman homeworld. ‘A backwater planet filled with nothing but primitives,’ was what he had called it after a few too many drinks one night. Tarei'hsan didn’t agree with his friend’s assessment of the oomans, but had agreed to take over the hunt nonetheless. 

The ship had already been stripped clean of any useful equipment by the time Tarei'hsan located it. He had made short work of what remained, detonating a small bomb to remove any evidence. Afterwards, he had followed the _ic'jit’s_ trail for a time, seemingly only a few spans behind his prey. But the trail had abruptly ended and he hadn’t been able to pick it up again, despite searching nonstop for three of this planet’s day-night cycles.

This _ic'jit_ was good, better than the newly blooded yautja that he usually hunted. It had been a long time since he had hunted someone with such skill - apparently this _ic'jit_ had been an Elder before breaking the honor code . Tarei'hsan’s _thwei_ sung as he thought of the fight that was ahead of him. 

But before that he had to actually find his quarry, which was proving to be more difficult than anticipated. Before Tarei'hsan’s frustration got the best of him, he decided a quick hunt would do him good. He should blow off some steam before his itch for a good hunt led him to make a reckless mistake. 

He watched as the two _oomans_ writhed pathetically on the ground, kicking up dust clouds around them. The smaller one landed a particularly hard punch to the other’s jaw and used that opportunity to regain his footing. He grabbed a primitive looking firearm from his hip and shot the one on the ground in the chest. The first shot wasn’t fatal, the man still rolling around weakly on the ground, so he fired another right between the man’s eyes. All movement ceased and the remaining ooman hissed out what sounded to Tarei'hsan like a curse and spit on the ground near the body.

The _ooman_ turned his back to his dead companion and walked towards the chest they had fought over. Tarei'hsan saw his opportunity and readied himself to jump from his perch when he heard the thundering of hooves in the distance. He decided to stay put for now and observe rather than rashly charge in for the kill. Tarei'hsan was patient. One did not survive long on the hunt if they were reckless, let alone attain arbitrator status. 

The  _ ooman _ did not hear the beating of the hooves however, and continued to fiddle with the chest, quickly checking its contents before lifting it with a grunt. Tarei'hsan huffed as he watched the  _ ooman _ struggle to bring it to his animal companion a four legged grazer with hooves and a long tail. Tarei'hsan recalled that the oomans often used these animals for transportation, though he was unsure what they were called. Not that it mattered much. The animals were large but were herbivores and did not present much threat and were thus not worth more than a passing thought. 

The  _ ooman _ was beginning to load the chest onto the back of his animal when he finally heard the hoofsteps approaching, but by then it was much too late. The yautja in the trees watched as another  _ ooman _ crested a nearby hill, riding a grazer of its own. The newcomer paused briefly at the apex of the hill, taking in the surroundings, then quickly ordered its mount forward towards the man. He scrambled to get the chest secured to his mount before the stranger was upon him, but a projectile was fired in the dirt close to his animal’s hind legs, causing it to rear up and flee. The man tried in vain to catch it but it was much too fast, especially in its panic.

Tarei'hsan smelled the acrid scent of fear on the wind as the  _ ooman  _ turned back to his pursuer and realized just how fast the newcomer was closing in. He began to run but was no match for the speed of his pursuer’s mount. As they got closer, the mounted  _ ooman _ pulled out a long rope with a loop at the end and threw it towards him. It sailed through the air and the looped end wrapped around the man. As soon as the loop was around his feet, it was pulled tight, causing the man to fall face first in the dirt. 

The newcomer slowed their mount and jumped to the ground before it had stopped completely. As they landed, Tarei'hsan heard a metallic jingle and used his biomask to zoom in towards the source of the sound. His gaze landed on their feet, where strange spiky pieces of metal were sticking out from the heel, causing a little clink with each step they took. Strange. He could see no benefit in something that alerted your prey of your presence.

Tarei'hsan turned to examine this newcomer’s vitals, preparing himself in the case they demonstrated they were worthy prey. He blinked in surprise as the scans showed that this _ooman_ was a female! Tarei'hsan had been to this small blue planet many times, on hunts for  _ oomans  _ and  _ ic'jit  _ alike, but could count the times he had encountered  _ ooman _ females on one paw. Unlike yautja females, _ooman_ females tended to stay within their settlements and rarely strayed far into the wild places where hunting was best. _Ooman_ females tended to be weaker than their male counterparts and thus were often controlled by them as hard as that was for him to imagine. Yautja females were much larger and stronger than the males and Tarei'hsan would have to be crazy to force a female to do anything.

Tarei'hsan recalled a time when he came across a male _ooman_ beating a female, despite her being unarmed and defenseless. He could still picture her strange red _thwei_ dripping down her face, contorted in pain. The male’s lack of honor had enraged Tarei'hsan and he had quickly dispatched the shameful _ooman_. Now his skull was one of many adorning Tarei'hsan’s trophy wall.

No one could say that _this_ female was defenseless as she strode confidently to her prey struggling to free himself from his confines. Something inside Tarei'hsan stirred as he watched her place a hard kick to the male’s ribs then quickly drew his arms up behind his back and tied his wrists together with the same rope that bound his legs. 

Tarei'hsan watched the scene with bated breath. This hunt had become much more interesting…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:
> 
> ooman - human  
> H'ulij-bpe - foolish/crazy/stupid  
> ic'jit - bad blood, a yautja that has broken the honor code  
> chiva - xenomorph hunt, rite of passage for young yautja  
> spans - yautja equivalent of a day


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For everyone's frame of reference this story takes place around the 1880s.
> 
> As always, if you notice any errors/typos please let me know!

Billie had been resting with her back against a rock and her hat pulled low over her eyes to protect them from the midday sun when she heard a gunshot ring out. Her horse, The Duchess, had been grazing on the sparse grasses nearby, her ears perking up at the noise as she let out a nervous whinny.

Billie jumped to her feet as the shot echoed through the valley. She clicked her tongue to get her horse’s attention. “Hey Dutch, let’s get goin’”. The Duchess quickly trotted over and Billie threw her leg over the saddle before motioning for the dark bay colored horse to head in the direction of the noise. 

She had been passing through Silver Springs, a dusty old frontier town with more horses than people, when she spotted the bounty poster tacked to the board in front of the sheriff’s office. She had almost passed it by before she saw they were offering a $400 reward. There was no way she could pass up that kind of money.

As she rode, she pulled out the wanted poster from one of the many pockets of her leather duster to study the faces of her bounties. Two men with pudgy faces and stringy, dark hair slicked back with too much pomade. The Bartlett Brothers, they called themselves. She’d heard of them before this, though they were nothing more than small-time bandits with more bravado than brains. Their preferred target were solitary merchants travelling the roads long past sundown. Not particularly smart on the merchants’ part. This was no place to be travelling by your lonesome at night. If bandits didn’t find you, coyotes would. It wasn’t until these two-bit desperados managed to rob the bank in Silver Springs that a bounty of any worth was put on their heads. 

Initially, Billie wondered how the Bartlett Brothers had managed to rob a bank. Word around town that they were a bunch of drunkards with less than half a brain between the two of them. When she walked into the bank and saw the guard asleep with a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand, she understood a little better. She was pretty sure one of the old mutts around town could have robbed that bank. But that didn’t matter. Banks had enough cash to offer some pretty lucrative bounties, so for all she cared they could get robbed every week. It would keep her in business. 

They were getting close to where the noise came from now. The Duchess rounded a hill, kicking up a trail of pebbles and dust behind her as she did. Billie brought her to a stop at the top of the hill, wanting to assess the situation before charging in. The Bartlett Brothers may be stupid, but they were still dangerous. They’d killed a few civilians during their little heist, and Billie didn’t want to give them any more notches on their pistol.

Looking down at the scene below her, she saw a man fumbling to tie something to the back of his horse. His back was turned, so she couldn’t make out his face. A little ways away from him was the body of another man slumped in the dirt with an angry red blood stain spreading across his chest.

Billie didn’t need much more to spurn her into action. Bartletts or no, there was still a killer to deal with. She snapped the reins and The Duchess charged down the hill at the stranger. Billie didn’t want him getting on his horse so she pulled out her six-shooter and fired a shot in the dirt behind the horse’s legs. It had the desired effect and the horse galloped away in terror. 

The man turned to run from her on foot, but there was no way he could outrun The Duchess. As she closed the space between them, Billie pulled her lasso from her hip and threw it with expert precision. It hit its mark and Billie pulled the rope taut around his legs, the man landing face first into the dirt.

She quickly dismounted before The Duchess had even come to a full stop and sauntered over to the man, who was wriggling on the ground. Billie liked the sound the jingle bobs on her spurs made with each step - it gave her a certain swagger. They were by far the best purchase she'd ever made.

When she got close enough to the man she delivered a hard kick to his ribs to stop his struggling before wrenching his arms behind his back to bind his wrists. She finished hog tying him and ungracefully flipped him over to get a good look at him. He wheezed as his back hit the hard ground, causing the side of her lips to quirk up. _Bastard deserves it_ , she thought. Luck was on her side as she recognized the man's face from the wanted poster that was now stuffed in her pocket.

“Well, well well. Looks to me I managed to wrangle up one o' them Bartlett Brothers.” she crooned as she crouched down beside him, her arms resting on her knees.

“Piss off!” the man spat at her, a bit of blood dribbling down the side of his mouth as he did. His face was pretty messed up, with a fat lip, blood crusted around his nostrils, and a dark purple bruise around a bloodshot eye.

“Well, that ain’t very nice. I could just leave you here for the buzzards. Or maybe the coyotes will get you first.” She saw his eyes widen at that and she chuckled. “Now, tell me, did you really kill your own brother over a bit o’ gold?” 

The man looked over towards the body on the ground and sneered. “He ain’t my brother! He’s my cousin. We just called ourselves brothers cuz it sounded better! Bastard was piss drunk and decided he wanted the gold all for himself and attacked me. I shot him in self-defense, I swear!” 

“Uh huh,” Billie said, unconvinced. “I ain’t no judge and I don’t care a lick about yer little sob story. I’m just here to collect a bounty, a might fine one if I do say so. Though if you behave yerself and don’t cause me no trouble, I might even ask the sheriff to go easy on you."

The man blabbered on some more but Billie stopped paying attention. Instead, she called for The Duchess before hoisting him over her shoulder to load him on the back. As she did, she heard a strange trilling sound and turned to face a cluster of desert willows - her namesake - on the opposite side of the little valley. As she stood still and waited, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. _Probably just a woodpecker_ , she told herself, though she continued to search the trees. 

Next to her, The Duchess snorted impatiently, snapping her out of her trance. She hefted the Bartlett Brother - it didn’t really matter which one - across the back of her horse and made sure he was secured. Before she left she went to go check the body of the other man. She rifled through his pockets but found nothing of interest other than a bottle of moonshine that was almost empty.

Remembering something she turned back to her captive. “Where’s the money, Bartlett?” she called impatiently. 

“On the back of my horse. The one you spooked.” His last few words were dripping with more venom than she liked. 

“You better watch that mouth, boy, or I’ll have you walking behind my horse all the way back to town.” 

She didn't wait for a reply before she turned to look for his horse but didn’t see it anywhere. She cursed under her breath before heading back to The Duchess. It couldn’t have made it too far.

Luckily, she was right. She found the horse grazing on some shrubs a little ways away. She could tell it was still anxious as she watched it flick its tail and toss its head. She approached it slowly while making soothing sounds in the back of her throat. It took a little time, but eventually she managed to get close enough to grab it’s reins. She gave it a few gentle pats as she went to check its cargo. Fortunately for her it was still attached to its back. She made sure it was secured before she hopped back on The Duchess, who gave another snort. Billie rolled her eyes before pulling some oat crackers out of her pocket and offering it to her. 

“Hush now. You know I love you best, Dutch." With one last reassuring pat to her jealous horse, she took the reins of both horses and started back in the direction of Silver Springs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic had me actually looking up the names of horse colors, lmao. If you don't want to do that, dark bay is basically a brownish-black color. 
> 
> $400 in 1880 is worth around $10,000 in 2020 money. That's a good chunk of change!
> 
> For the zero people wondering if there are woodpeckers out in the Mojave Desert, there are. They're called ladder-backed woodpeckers and they're very cute. (Which is the only reason I bring them up)
> 
> And thus ends our weekly Trivia Hour, lol.
> 
> As a side note, I totally didn't plan for Billie and Dutch to have the same names as two characters from the OG Predator movie, that was just a weird coincidence. Billie was named after the desert willow tree (Willow -> Will -> Bill -> Billie) and Dutch was named after Dutch van der Linde from RDR2 (which I have been playing recently and may have somewhat inspired this fic).


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, if you spot any typos/errors please let me know :)

The _ic'jit_ would probably be hunting nearby the _ooman_ settlements, where prey would be more bountiful. That’s what Tarei'hsan told himself as he followed the _ooman_ female. It made logical sense that the _ic'jit_ was hunting there, as he was no longer bound to the honor code and could hunt as he pleased without having to worry about drawing unneeded attention. And it would explain why Tarei'hsan had been unable find hide nor claw of him out in the desert. But he knew he was kidding himself and that the real reason he followed her was simply because she had piqued his interest, though he was thankful he had a sound excuse if anyone were ever to ask.

The female was easy enough to track, her grazers kicking up a trail of dusty earth behind them. It went on like that for a while, the female setting her animals at a steady but not breakneck pace and the yautja following swiftly a ways behind. Tarei'hsan quickly fell into a rhythm, his two hearts beating at the same pace as his feet hit the ground.

It had been a while since he been able to simply _run_ . The last few sweeps he had either spent on hunts in densely packed _d’to_ or travelling in his ship. His craft was by no means cramped, his status as an arbitrator allowed him a larger, more luxurious vessel than most, but it was not so big he could simply run through the halls. He could recall the times in his youth where he and the other pups would run around the open plains just outside the cities of Yautja Prime, spending their days playing games and sparring in the tall grasses. He often watched enviously as the newest generation of pups occupied themselves in the same way, while he was stuck inside at one meeting after the next. He smiled as he thought of his friend who had passed this mission onto him. He was probably cooped up in some meeting room while Tarei'hsan ran freely with wind in his face and sun on his back.

As he watched her, the female seemed to be enjoying herself as much as he was. Every so often she would have her mount pick up speed and she would spread her arms out wide to feel the wind, letting out whoops and shouts that he could hear even from a distance. She was obviously comfortable here, unconcerned if anything heard her cries. She led her little convoy through the dusty orange-brown landscape, expertly maneuvering around rocky hills and across ravines that cut across her path.

By the time she stopped her grazers, the sun was beginning to dip behind the horizon, turning the sky shades of pink and purple. The group stopped at a large outcropping of boulders that made for a good shelter. Tarei'hsan was not tired but understood that _oomans_ needed to rest more often. He settled himself at the top of the outcropping, which gave him a good view of not only the female but also the rest of the landscape. He closed his eyes to listen to the buzzing of insects and the chirp of a few birds. Nearby, he could hear the trickle of a small stream. He wondered if the female had chosen this spot because there was water nearby, a precious and scarce resource in these parts.

When he opened his eyes again he saw that the female was busying herself with starting a small fire. Now that the sun was setting, its warmth was seeping away steadily from their surroundings. Tarei'hsan was thankful for his thermal netting, which would keep him warm despite the dropping temperature. He was not especially fond of the cold.

With the fire burning steadily, the female settled in for the night, perfectly content to sleep on the ground. She had her arms behind her head and her strange head covering resting over her face. Tarei'hsan chuckled to himself when he realized she had not taken her captive down from off his place on her mount.

The captive was not pleased when he realized he wouldn’t be freed for the night and began to make sounds of protest. Thankfully, Tarei'hsan had calibrated his biomask to their ooman language during their last exchange and was able to understand enough words to follow their conversation.

“Hey, now. You ain’t really gonna leave me tied up like this all night, are ya?” He said as he struggled with his bonds. When she didn’t answer him he continued to protest.

Growing annoyed with his squawking, she sat up slowly and told him, “If you don’t stop with that racket and let me get some shuteye I might do just that. Now quit yer yammerin’.”

She brought herself to her feet and moved to detach him from the horse, dumping him unceremoniously to the floor. As he hit the ground with a heavy thump, he let out a muffled groan followed by a curse.

“Now why’d you gotta go and be all rough, mister? Nearly broke my neck.”

Tarei'hsan cocked his head at that. Why was the captive calling her a male? Was he really that foolish?

“Won’t be needing to worry ‘bout yer neck much longer. I’m sure the sheriff will have you hanging from the gallows by sundown tomorrow,” the female replied with a grunt. “And I ain’t no mister, mister.”

The captive scoffed at that. “Well you must be the ugliest lookin’ lady I ever saw.”

“And here I was about to offer you some dinner. That’s too bad,” she taunted. As she spoke, she pulled some sort of dried meat from her pocket and shoved it into her mouth. And to drive the point home she went to both of the animals and offered them some grains, which they greedily gobbled down. As if on queue, the man’s stomach rumbled loudly and the female just laughed, returning to her spot and settling back down. The man hurriedly offered a few apologies but she ignored him, instead humming to herself lazily.

Tarei'hsan took this time to go hunting for some food of his own. He silently prowled a little ways away from the camp where he found some nocturnal rodents digging in the ground for food. He dispatched them easily enough and took their bodies back to the top of the outcropping where he would start the process of skinning and eating them.

When he returned, the female was asleep, her chest rising and falling steadily. He heard a strange scratching sound that he thought at first was another one of the rodents poking around until he located the male. He had managed to pull himself towards a cluster of sharp rocks and was using one to slowly tear through the ropes binding him feet. As fond as Tarei'hsan was of the little female, if her captive was able to escape so easily, well she deserved whatever happened. Tarei'hsan pulled out a skinning knife and quickly went to work on his meal, watching what unfolded before him with interest.

The ropes were thick but the man was persistent and managed to free his arms and legs. Maybe he was not as stupid as he let on, maybe it was all an act. Tarei'hsan, wouldn’t be surprised. Though _oomans_ were physically weak, they could be quite smart, especially when captured or cornered. Their wit and creativity was what qualified them as worthy prey to his kind.

The man managed to get to his feet silently and slowly started to make his way to the grazers. As he did he stepped on a dry stick, which snapped loudly under his boot. He froze and held his breath as the female stirred slightly. When she settled back down without waking up he let out his breath and continued on. He had almost made it to his mount, the one with the chest strapped to it’s back, when the female’s grazer started to stomp its feet and bray to alert the female.

At the noise she quickly jumped to her feet and whipped her head around to look for what her animal was alerting her to. As soon as the man realized she was up, he abandoned his plan of untying his mount and instead bolted away from camp. At the sound of his heavy footfalls, the female realized what was happening.

“Shit!” She cursed, already hot in pursuit. “You get back here Bartlett!”

The man was running blindly through the night, his only source of light the twinkling stars above them. He was heading straight for the little stream Tarei'hsan had noticed before, which wouldn’t have been a problem had there been more water. But right now the stream was so low that it was more mud than anything else, causing him to slip as he ran across it. Fortunately, he only fell to his knees and was able to regain his footing. Unfortunately for him, those few seconds was all the female needed to close the distance between them. He had just gotten back to his feet when she tackled him back into the muddy banks of the stream. He tried to buck her off but she managed to keep him pinned down, delivering a few hard punches to his chest and face before he was knocked unconscious.

The female grabbed him by the neck of his clothing and dragged him back to the campsite, huffing to herself the whole time. Tarei'hsan could tell the female was very angry and he almost felt the need to purr a little to calm her. It was something that yautja males often did instinctively when faced with an agitated female yautja. It calmed them down and protected the males from their wrath.

The female grumbled as she tied the escapee up again with another rope, this time tyting them extra tightly, before hefting him onto her horse again. Tarei'hsan knew there was no way she would untie him from there a second time. 

She futilely attempted to brush off some of the mud that was caked on her arms and legs but quickly gave up and settled back down for the third time that night. Tarei'hsan found himself pleased that the female had been able to keep her prey from escaping, though he didn’t know exactly why.

He was about to turn his attention to other things when out of the corner of his eye he spotted a small heat signature back on the muddy banks of the stream. It was too small and too cold to be an animal. His interest piqued, he stealthily made his way to the heat source, crouching down to dig through the muck to get to it. It was a small silver disk-like object attached to a delicate chain. He used his thumb to clear some dirt away and turned it over in his hands, trying to figure out what it was. On one side there were some symbols engraved in the metal. Tarei'hsan assumed they were ooman words but could not read them himself. On the top was a little knob which he pressed, causing the disk to pop open. On the back of the lid there was a scrap of paper, the edges curled slightly with age. On the other what a polished white surface with little black lines along the edge. There were three small metal pieces of different lengths in the middle of the face that moved at different speeds, making a small ticking sound as they did. Tarei'hsan had no idea what it was, but he slipped into his pocket anyway, thinking that it must belong to either the female or her captive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations: 
> 
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> sweeps - yautja equivalent of years  
> d'to - jungle/forest
> 
> I love how Tarei'hsan keeps telling himself he doesn't know why he is interested in her. He watched her beat this dude up multiple times and was like "Oh damn that's hot." King.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank everyone for the encouraging comments so far! This is my first fanfic and I was really nervous to post it <3
> 
> As always, please let me know if you spot any typos/errors!

Billie left her campsite just as the first slivers of red were streaking across the horizon. She had barely got any sleep all night, waking every so often to check to see if her prisoner was still there. The escape attempt had left her in a foul mood and the lack of sleep wasn’t helping. She sure as hell didn’t have any patience for the man’s whining, which started up full force as soon as he came too not long after they were back on the road. He kept complaining that his head hurt every time the ride got bumpy (which was often) and when Billie couldn’t take it anymore she shoved a scrap of cloth into his mouth. That shut him up well enough, and Billie was able to enjoy the rest of the ride in peace, using the time to calm herself some. 

By the time the town of Silver Springs was in view, the morning sun had crested over the horizon, bathing the landscape in a golden glow. Now that she was closer to town, she started passing people on the road, tipping her hat to greet them. 

“Mornin’ mister,” a man called out to her. He was steering a wagon packed high with crates of food and other goods, the two horses that were pulling trotting happily as they went. Billie recognized him as old Boone Cassidy, the owner of the general store in Silver Springs. He was a wirey old man with nothing more than a few wisps of gray hair left on his shiny head, though today he was wearing a straw hat to protect him from the sun.

“You ol’ fool! That’s Miss Mayfield! You best apologize to her now, ya hear?” the woman sitting beside him squawked angrily, tugging on one of his ears to chastise him. Ethel Cassidy, his wife, a stout old woman with a face that reminded Billie of a bird. In a good way. 

“Oh, uh, I’m sorry Miss Mayfield. You know my eyesight ain’t like it used to be,” he apologized sheepishly. Billie certainly knew his eyesight wasn’t great. When she went into his store she was lucky if he brought her the right bottle the first time. The little words on the labels were too small for his old eyes to make out. And every time he made a mistake his wife would cuff him on the head before slipping a few extra things into Billie’s bag ‘for her trouble’. They were good folks. 

Billie laughed at the squabbling couple warmly. “Ain’t no trouble. You two have a good mornin’ now,” she said with a tip of her hat. 

Honestly she didn’t mind if people mistook her for a man. Most of the time it was just easier if they did. It saved her from the curious stares and harassment. Some of these parts weren’t all that safe for a woman, though Billie was confident in her ability to defend herself. She never went out of her way to dress up like a man or anything, she just wore what she felt comfortable in: a loose white button down (which didn’t stay white for long) , a leather duster, some chaps and a pair of nice cowhide boots. Her hair was long but she usually wore it braided and pinned up, so her stetson usually covered that up. She wouldn’t say her face was mannish, but with the rest of her getup she supposed she just looked like a feminine man to those who didn’t know her. The only reason she corrected her captive last night was because she liked messing with him. 

She arrived in town just in time to avoid the morning traffic of carts passing through and people out in the road. Pulling up to the sheriff’s office, she hitched both of the horses before unloading her captive from the back and slinging him over her shoulder. She passed through the double doors into the building and found Sheriff Holt dozing at his desk. He was a large man in every sense of the word, over six feet tall with a big barrel chest. He had a mole on his forehead and a tiny face was surrounded by mutton-chops of bristly salt and pepper hair. He was a good enough man but suffered from insomnia, causing him to fall asleep on the job a lot. 

He didn’t wake as she passed the desk and headed towards the cells, none to gently tossing What’s-his-name Bartlett into one with a clang. The sound woke the sheriff and she sat up with a snort. 

“What’s goin’ on now?” he asked drowsily, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

“Did this town a favor and caught one of them Bartlett Brothers. Found the gold they made off with too.”

Sheriff Holt examined the man in the cell. “And what about the other one?” 

“Dead. Bastard shot him after they got into a fight about how to split the money.” 

“Shot his own brother over a bit o’ gold. Pah!” Holt spat at the man before turning away. Billie heard the man protest behind the gag, vaguely making out the words ‘not my brother,’ but didn’t bother to correct the record. 

“Well Miss Willow-” the sheriff started. 

“Billie. Please call me Billie,” she corrected him quickly. Her full name reminded her of when her mother used to scold her all the time.

“Alright then, Billie. The town of Silver Springs thanks you. That’s another no good criminal behind bars and off of our good streets. I’m sure the families of those killed during the robbery will be very thankful.” 

Billie bit back a smile at his grandiose praise. She had almost forgot that Sheriff Holt fancied himself a poet of sorts. He could be pretty long winded, so before he started up again she chimed in, “Just doin’ my job there sheriff.” 

“Of course, of course. So I take it you’ll pass on that $400 bounty outta the kindness of your heart?” he teased. 

“Not so fast there, bub. I still gotta eat. How’s about I go get us both some coffee while you get me my $400”.

With that she left the sheriff’s office to go get some coffee at the saloon nearby while Holt started working on the paperwork. At this time of day the saloon wasn’t serving booze to anyone other than the drunks who fell asleep at the bar. She made some small talk with the barkeep while she waited for a fresh pot. After downing her own cup she brought the other back to the sheriff, who still had some forms to fill out. _Damn bureaucracy_ , she cursed inwardly as she waited. Sheriff Holt wasn’t the type to skimp on any paperwork, so she knew she had some time to kill. 

She busied herself with unloading the chest from the other horse before leaving it next to Holt’s desk. Then she brought the horse to the stables, not wanting to deal with two horses. The Duchess was already a handful on her own. She managed to get a few bucks for it and gave it a goodbye pat as she left to check on the sheriff’s progress. He was still bent over the work on his desk, damn him. With nothing else to do, she started brushing the dust and grime off of The Duchess’s coat until it was shiny and clean. Then she went over to a rain barrel and used it to clean off some of the muck from herself.

Feeling refreshed, she went back to check on his progress again and found that he was _finally_ done, thank god. She really didn’t know what she would have done with herself if he wasn’t. 

Holt counted out the money for her as she watched. She didn’t think he would try to short change her but he wasn’t the best with numbers and Billie wanted to double check his math. When he finished he stacked everything up neatly and handed it to her. “Oh, I ran into Sheriff Ashmore the other day and he told me to tell you that there was a murder up in Calico the other day that he could use your help on.” 

_Why don’t you tell Ashmore to do his damn job_ . She almost said it out loud but managed to bite it back with a grin. “I’ll be sure to check on that,” she responded sweetly. _Not!_ She doubted Ashmore really had a case and just wanted another excuse to try and get in her pants. It wouldn’t be the first time he made up a case for that. 

Cole Ashmore was the sheriff up in Calico, a town to the northwest of Silver Springs. He was young for a sheriff, but managed to get the job after his daddy retired and handed it to him on a silver platter. He was relatively handsome and unmarried, so he spent more time chasing after girls than keeping. Billie would have rather stay as far away from him, but Calico was a rich town with some lucrative bounties. 

“You have a good day now Billie. And stay out of trouble,” the sheriff called as she took her leave. 

“Now when have I ever gotten into any trouble?” She asked with a chuckle as she walked out the doors. His only response was a hearty belly laugh. 

Billie walked back towards The Duchess and stretched her arms up, feeling the sun warm her fingertips. She wondered what time it was, the business with the sheriff took longer than she would’ve liked. She went to reach for her pocket watch - a gift from her late father - but didn’t find it in its usual place. She hurriedly checked her other pockets and then even the different compartments in The Duchess’s saddle, but it was nowhere to be found. She thought back to the night before and her fight with the captive. It must have fallen out of her pocket then. 

“Damnit!” she hissed through clenched teeth as she kicked the dirt, her anger from this morning returning twofold. 

She quickly threw herself on The Dutchess before snapping the reins to urge her foreward. She weaved through the congested streets, earning her a few curses, but she didn’t care. She had to get that damn watch back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you folks can see where things are headed ;) Though you'll have to wait a few more chapters before these two meet. This is tagged as slow burn after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter chapter this time, but I expect the next one to be a bit longer to make up for it, (Don't hold me to that though!!!)
> 
> As always, please let me know if you spot any errors/typos!

Tarei'hsan followed the female into the settlement, his cloaking keeping him invisible to the _oomans_ in the street. He leapt stealthily from building to building, his steps completely silent thanks to years upon years of practice. 

As the female disappeared into one of the structures, he settled on its roof to watch through the heat signatures in his biomask as she handed off her captive. Though yautja had excellent hearing, he was unable to make out what was being said due to the walls muffling their voices and the din of the crowded streets. 

He watched as the female meandered around doing some chores and chided himself for letting himself get so distracted. He was here to find the _ic'jit,_ not follow after some _ooman_ . Raising his head to study his surroundings, he reminded himself that he had come to this settlement because he thought the _ic'jit_ would be around. _As if anyone still believes that excuse_ , he thought to himself with a snort.

Focusing his attention on his mission, he darted from rooftop to rooftop, scenting the air and scanning through the vision modes of his biomask in search of any trace of the _ic'jit._ Still nothing. He then returned to the boundaries of the _ooman_ settlement, cutting a wide perimeter around it in hopes of picking up a trail. 

Fortunately for him he located a set of large clawed footprints leading away from the settlement. The residual heat signature his biomask picked up told him they were only a little more than a span old. He was closing in on his prey. 

As he followed the _ic'jit’s_ tracks, he also picked up the tracks of an _ooman_ heading in the same direction. Tarei'hsan had been right in his prediction that the _ic'jit_ had moved closer to the _ooman_ settlement to hunt. 

The footprints led to a cluster of trees, too small to be called a forest really. It wasn’t hard for Tarei'hsan to find the _ic'jit’s_ prey. The body was skinned and hung upside down in one of the trees. A male. Nearby, he found an axe still lodged in a log with some pieces of wood scattered on the ground. The ooman male had come here to collect wood, to heat his dwelling probably. The whole scene was a bloodbath, this had not been a clean kill. Tarei'hsan sneered at the sight, not at the blood - he was used to that - but at its shameful implications. He moved to cut down the ooman’s body, seeing no reason to display such a dishonorable trophy. As he did he wondered if this _ic'jit_ truely believed there was any sport in this kill - the man was armed after all - or if it didn’t matter to him anymore. 

Tarei'hsan shook his head vigorously to clear his thoughts, the metal bands adorning his tresses clinking together lightly. There was no benefit to understanding how this _ic'jit’s_ twisted mind worked! He would simply fall down a rabbit hole of ‘what ifs,’ which was not productive. 

He tried to follow the _ic'jit’s_ movements from there, but he had taken to the trees after this kill and the bark didn’t retain heat in the same way as the ground. No matter, his prey seemed to be headed north and Tarei'hsan had a feeling the _ic'jit_ would stay close to the _ooman_ settlements. He tapped his wrist gauntlet a few times and pulled up a map of the surrounding area. As expected, there was a decently sized settlement a little ways northwest of here. He would head there next. But before he departed, he decided to circle back to this settlement one last time to see if he had missed anything, and also to check in one last time on the female. 

His instincts were right and after backtracking the footprints, he found signs he has missed the first time around that told him the _ic'jit_ had spent some time watching the _ooman_ in his dwelling. So he was confident enough to prowl within the settlement itself instead of keeping to the outskirts. Tarei'hsan wouldn’t have expected less from a former elder. 

Stalking back to where he left the female, he perched on a nearby rooftop and watched as she came out of one of the dwellings. She stretched her arms and wiggled her fingers with their blunt little claws at the end. Then she reached into her pocket for something. Then she started frantically looking through all her other pockets, even checking the storage compartments on her grazer’s saddle. Tarei'hsan heard her swear before jumping on her mount and peeling out of the settlement in the direction she had come from. 

Tarei'hsan recalled the strange object he had recovered from the mud last night. _It must belong to her_ , he thought as he pulled it from one of the poches on his belt. As he flicked it open again, he debated going after her to return it but discarded the idea quickly. He would not make it there before her at the speed at which she had her mount travelling. Besides, his new findings had reinvigorated him for the hunt ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:
> 
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> span - yautja equivalent of a day
> 
> *********  
> Big guy finally remembered what he came to Earth for! Let's see how long that lasts, lol.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please let me know if you find any errors/typos/etc. 🤠

Billie raced back to the campsite, pushing The Duchess to a full gallop to reach her destination as fast as possible. Billie thanked her lucky stars that the camp wasn’t farther away and that she knew the area well enough to navigate back quickly. 

As they pulled up to the outcropping of rocks, Billie jumped down from the saddle and immediately got down on her knees to start searching. The Duchess trotted a little ways away, huffing pointedly as she nibbled on some grasses. 

_ Dramatic ass horse _ . Billie rolled her eyes and focused back on her task. The Duchess continued to act indignant so Billie stood up and pulled a few sugar cubes from the pocket of her duster. 

Sugar cubes were The Duchess's favorite and the horse gobbled them down greedily, slobbering all over Billie’s hand. “Alright alright there Dutch. You feelin’ better now?” All she got was a snort in response. Billie gave the spoiled horse a few rubs on her long nose, running her thumb along the one diamond shaped patch of white that decorated it, the only light spot on her otherwise dark coat. “Thanks for gettin’ me here so fast, girl. I owe ya. Now if you need a drink there’s a stream over there”.  _ And if you happen to find papa’s pocket watch while you're at it, can you bring it back here _ ? she almost added. The Duchess was a smart horse, but not that smart. 

As she continued her search, memories of The Duchess’s birth flooded back to her suddenly. When she had first learned that one of her father’s horses, Blackjack, was pregnant, little 8-year-old Billie was adamant that the foal would be  _ her _ horse. Her father was happy to indulge her as long as she agreed to take care of the horse herself. 

_ ‘You best be ready to wake up at the crack of dawn to muck out the stable every day, girlie’ _ he had told her.

_ ‘I already do that now, papa!’ _ she had responded indignantly, crossing her skinny little arms over her chest. 

He had laughed at her response, a big belly laugh that Billie could still remember as if it was just yesterday, the wrinkles around his grey eyes squinching up as he did. 

When Blackjack went into labor, her father had called her into the stable to help with the delivery. When all was said and done she was left with a little dark brown filly that she named The Duchess, in honor of the horse’s sire, a big old stallion named The Duke. Billie was true to her word and took care of her horse as best as an 8-year-old could have. And w hen The Duchess was old enough to ride, Billie would take her out riding every morning and then again every night, not coming back until her mother called her back in for dinner. 

Billie raised her head from where she was searching and smiled at her old girl fondly. Dutch was the best horse a girl could ask for. After searching the rest of the campsite in vain, she got back to her feet with a sigh and brushed the dust off her legs. The watch wasn’t here. Billie had wanted to check the camp before heading over to the stream on the off chance it had slipped out of her pocket when she slept. She was in no hurry to go get herself muddy again, especially right after cleaning her clothes once before. 

Unable to delay any longer, she trudged over to the muddy banks of the stream, got down on her hands and knees and started digging. She didn’t stop until her arms and legs were completely caked in a thick layer of mud. Looking up, she realized she’d been searching for hours now, the sun starting to settle behind the horizon, bathing the landscape in a dark red color. 

Billie sat back in the mud, defeated and feeling tears start to sting her eyes. She’d searched the whole damn riverbank by that time, if she hadn’t found the watch now, then it must be gone. She put her head in her hands, not caring about the mud on her hands as she did so. 

The watch had been a gift from her father. She’d been obsessed with the thing when she was little, always begging to see it. She loved to fiddle with the button on top, the sound it made as it opened was very satisfying and Billie had made a habit opening and closing it when she was nervous. 

Her father had gifted it to her after Billie had gotten in a particularly bad fight with her mother. It had started when her uncle - her father’s younger brother - had come for a visit. He was a ranger in Arizona who hunted outlaws for a living. Billie had always idolized him, wanting to be just like him when she grew up. She loved his shiny spurs and was fascinated with the big iron he always had strapped to his hip, no matter the time of day. He had shown her how it worked and even took her out to shoot tin cans with it a few times. When her mother found out she had been furious. After chewing her uncle out, she had come up to Billie and said ‘ _ Little girls shouldn’t be playing with guns _ ’.  Her mother had never been fond of Billie’s wild streak, not understanding why Billie preferred to be out riding on The Duchess or helping her father out in the fields instead of in the house learning to cook or sew clothes. Her mother may have been content in that domestic role, but Billie never liked it.

The two women had descended into a nasty screaming match that ended with Billie running away to go sleep in the barn with The Duchess. Her father had found her there and after wiping the tears from her face, he gifted her his pocket watch to brighten her spirits. Apparently he had been planning on giving it to her for a while, as he had added a picture of the two of them to the front lid and gotten the back engraved with a little message: ‘ _ To my little cowgirl _ .’ Despite the cheesy message - she would always be a little girl to the big sap - the gift meant the world to her, especially now that her dad had passed. It was a reminder that no matter what, there was always someone out there who believed in her. 

That had been the last time Billie had been back home, when her dad was on his deathbed, a life of hard work and too many cigars finally catching up to him. After burying him, Billie couldn’t bear being at home any longer now that there was no one there to protect her from her mother’s disapproval. She had left a few days after with The Duchess, with nothing more to her name than the clothes on her back and a stubborn drive to do exactly the opposite of what her mother wanted. 

Billie sighed and wiped the tears from her face, though all she ended up doing was smearing more mud on her face. There was no use wallowing in self-pity now. She went up to The Duchess and pressed her forehead to the horse’s nose for a moment to rein in a few stray sniffles. Then she hopped back into the saddle and set out for Silver Springs for the second time that day. What she needed now was a good distraction, a job to throw herself at. She vaguely remembered what Sheriff Holt had told her about an incident in Calico, but she was none too keen to see Sheriff Ashmore right now. Instead, Billie decided what she really needed was a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed a little bit of Billie's backstory. I know everyone is chomping at the bit for our two lovebirds to meet (myself included) but we have a little bit more ground to cover before we get there.
> 
> Also, bonus points to anyone who catches the (obscure) reference I made in this chapter ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting very close to a meeting between these two, I promise!
> 
> As always, I'd please let me know if you find any typos/errors/anything of the sort. 
> 
> And again, I wanted to thank everyone who's been leaving encouraging comments. Y'all are the best <3

Tarei'hsan had seemingly guessed the _ic'jit’s_ next move correctly, finding the remains of a few small animals as he traveled northwest towards the _ooman_ settlement. His prey had spent the time between _kv'var_ to feed, discarding the bones carelessly as he did. To the untrained eye they were nothing more than the remains of an animal picked clean by one of the scavenger species indigenous to these parts, but Tarei'hsan recognized the telltale signs of yautja weapons in scored markings on the bones. 

He meticulously canvassed the landscape as he went, careful not to miss any signs of the other yautja. There was no reason for him to rush into a confrontation without all the information, and every remnant he found added to the overall picture of the _ic'jit_ in his mind. Tarei'hsan was known for his ability to get into the mindset of his prey. To think how they thought and predict their movements before they even knew themselves. It had aided him in many hunts, though it could sometimes be a hindrance as well. Getting caught up in the whys and what ifs could easily hinder his ability to hunt effectively. He had let more than a few worthy kills slip through his fingers in his younger days. 

Tarei'hsan was becoming more and more certain that the _ic'jit_ was using a device to lower his body temperature, making him harder to track with a biomask and explaining why his trail was so faint despite being relatively fresh. This suggested he was being careful enough to cover his tracks. But his haphazardly discarded meal spoke to someone who was sloppy - or someone who didn’t care he was being tracked. Maybe he was hoping to lead Tarei'hsan into a trap, leaving easy clues to lure him into a false sense of security. 

He approached the settlement carefully, thoroughly examining every building and rooftop for the _ic'jit_ from a safe distance. He finally spotted the heat signature of a yautja in a large structure towards the edge of the settlement. There were other heat signatures around him, some vibrant and some slowly starting to fade. Some _oomans_ had been unlucky enough to cross paths with the bloodthirsty _ic'jit_. 

Instead of moving in to confront his prey, Tarei'hsan moved to search the rest of the area, his earlier notion of this being a trap weighing heavily in the back of his mind. Tracing a wide perimeter around the town, he found a cave system a little ways away. The darkness of the caverns was no obstacle for him as he cautiously made his way inside, searching for anything out of the ordinary. 

Sure enough, he only needed to travel a few hundred feet into the cave system before he heard the telltale sound of a _gkinmara_ up ahead. The instrument’s soft beeping would not have been noticeable had he not been paying careful attention to his surroundings. He approached it carefully and found it cleverly hidden in a small divot in the wall of the tunnel. He could also see that it was connected to a _t'gou_ that was rigged to release as soon as someone other than it’s owner passed it by. Tarei'hsan threw his _chakt-ra_ at the _t'gou_ and it sailed through the air silently, shredding the razor sharp ropes before they fell to the ground in useless ribbons. He did not disarm the _gkinmara_ in case doing so would alert its owner. 

Satisfied, Tarei'hsan left the cave to return to the _ic'jit._ He had nearly finished skinning the _oomans_ and hanging their bodies from the rafters by then. He watched as the other yautja took one of the bodies not hanging and left the structure and headed for the cave, dragging the bloody body behind him.

Tarei'hsan decided that he would play into the _ic'jit’s_ little trap. A confrontation in the caverns was preferable as it was farther from the ooman settlement and there was less chance for collateral damage. Also, his prey would be expecting the trap to go off - relying on it even - and Tarei'hsan would use his surprise to gain the advantage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:
> 
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> kv'var - hunts  
> gkinmara - sensor  
> t'gou - net  
> chakt-ra - smart disk


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is kinda short just because this next Billie chapter was getting pretty long, so I decided to split it up. Next chapter will have the long awaited meeting of these two, I promise! Cowboy's honor.
> 
> As always, please let me know if you find any typos/errors! :)

Billie sat at the bar, drowning her sorrows in a glass of whiskey. Or well three glasses of whiskey. The bar patrons had quieted when she first trudged into the bar, no doubt gawking at her ghastly appearance. Not that she had cared one lick. She was grateful the bartender hadn’t cared either, he just took her order and filled her glass up nice and high. No doubt he was used to seeing some rough looking characters in his line of work. 

Everyone wisely left her alone and the night continued normally, sometimes getting a little rowdy but that was to be expected in a town like this. Billie paid it no mind until she heard Viola Marsh, a known gossip around town, talking to the bartender a few stools down. 

“Did ye hear about what happened to ol’ Stan Parsons?” Viola asked him, seemingly trying to keep her voice down but failing miserably. She had one of those voices that just carried. 

The bartender grunted as he continued to wipe down a glass. “Yeah, it’s a damn shame. He was a good man. Feel bad for his wife and two little girls. Hear they’re planning to move back to Texas to stay with her family for some time.” 

That caught Billie’s attention. The Parsons were good folk, Stan especially. He was the sort to give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. They had been good to Billie on a few when she’d been low on money and needed a place to stay in town. 

Billie moved to interrupt the conversation. “What’s this ‘bout ol’ Stan Parsons?”

“Haven’t you heard? His wife had a few boys out looking for him after he didn’t come back from choppin’ wood and they found his body strung up in a tree with all the skin missing!” Viola explained. 

“Somebody skinned him?” Billie couldn’t believe it. Nobody deserved that kind of gruesome end, least of all a man as kind as Stan. She felt her heart clench in her chest. “At least his girls weren’t the ones to find him.” 

Both Viola and the bartender agreed with her. They talked a little more before the conversation lapsed into silence, all three of them pondering who could have possibly done this. Silver Springs had its share of robbers and crooks, but rarely saw such cold blooded murders as this. 

Billie threw back the rest of her whiskey before paying her tab. She’d resolved to herself that she would go find whoever did this to poor Stan and make them pay. Just as she was about to head out the saloon doors, a man bulldozed into her. 

She caught him by the shoulders as he looked like he was about to fall. “Woah there pardner, you alright now?” She looked down at the man, his face sweaty and red and his eyes darting around frantically. Some of the people nearby had caught wind of the commotion and the person playing the piano suddenly stopped playing to turn and look at what was happening. 

“No!” the man shouted as he wriggled from her grip. He turned to the rest of the saloon then. “I ain’t okay! I came to tell y’all a bunch a people were murdered tonight over in Calico! Somebody butchered a bunch of folks down at the ol’ farmhouse before stringin’ the bodies up from the rafters!”

The crowd that had gathered around him started to buzz with nervous energy at the news. 

“That’s what happened to ol’ Stan Parsons!” someone in the crowd shouted. 

“How many people were killed?” asked another. 

“Dunno how many exactly, sheriff told me ten. Then he sent me and a few other boys to go warn the other towns. Said it’d be best if everyone went home and locked their doors tonight”. 

Billie didn’t need to hear more. All she cared about was this killer struck again in Calico, so she was headed there to help catch his trail. If Sheriff Ashmore didn’t want her help, well then that was too bad. 

Billie raced towards Calico, her heart beating in step with The Duchess’s hooves as they thundered across the dusty landscape, bathed in silver light as the full moon loomed large in the black night sky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so everyone knows, yes, I am imagining there to be cheesy western music playing in the background as Billie rides off to Calico. This is a western, you gotta ham it up!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Just as a warning to everyone there are some kinda graphic descriptions of gore in this chapter!!
> 
> To make up for the shortness of the last chapter, here is a longer one!
> 
> As always, please let me know if you see any typos/errors <3

When they reached Calico, she found the streets alight with people holding lanterns and torches. Some were even armed, with hoes and pitchforks gripped tightly in their hands. The crowd was gathered around the Sheriff’s Office, throwing angry questions and accusations at Sheriff Ashmore and his two deputies who stood outside it. The deputies were trying to calm the crowd and answer their questions, sensing things could easily start to get out of hand. Scared and terrified people armed with pitchforks and torches were a recipe for trouble. 

Ashmore was mounted on his horse and addressed the people below him. “Now don’t you folks worry. Me and my best men are handlin’ this. We’ll catch this bastard soon enough, but I need y’all to clear our and go home. I don’t need any other bodies on my hands.” 

With that, he peeled away from the crowd and Billie used the opening to bring The Duchess to a steady trot beside him. “Heard there’s been some trouble in town, Sheriff. Know you asked Sheriff Holt down in Silver Springs for my help a while back.”

“Yeah well that was just when it was mugging gone wrong. Now we have ten bodies hanging from the rafters with no skin to speak of.” 

“They found Stan Peterson’s body the same way earlier today. When did this happen?” 

“No more than an hour or so ago, bodies are still warm. Drifters like to use the old barn as shelter sometimes. One of ‘em was comin’ back from the saloon when he found the bodies. Came runnin’ into the station hollerin’ like a banshee before passing out. Doc is treating him now.” Ashmore said as he pulled out a cigar and lit it. “Want one? You’ll need it later.”

Billie was tempted but ultimately passed. She was too hocked up on adrenaline and didn’t need the distraction. 

The two of them reached the farmhouse, where another deputy was standing guard. He looked relieved when he saw them, probably grateful to not be alone at a gruesome murder scene in the middle of the night. They hitched their horses and pulled out lanterns before pushing open the heavy wooden doors leading inside. 

As soon as she walked in, she almost wished she’d taken the cigar, if for any other reason than to block out some of the smell. The heavy metallic scent of blood was so strong she could taste it, weighing heavily on the back of her tongue. She swallowed heavily and could hear the deputy behind her wretch slightly. It wasn’t like Billie was a stranger to gruesome scenes, she’d seen her fair share of stuff over the years, but she’d never come across so many people at once who had been brutalized so extensively.

The blood coating the walls and floors glistened darkly as the lantern light swept through the room. Dark Silhouettes of bodies became visible against the black shadows that clung to every corner of the barn. Some were hanging upside down from the rafters while some others were slumped in corners or splayed across the floor. She slowly walked towards the closest one, a man suspended five feet from the ground. She shivered at the sensation of the wet hay under her boots, a few pieces clinging to the leather as she moved. Letting out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, she moved the lantern to examine the body closer. 

The body was completely missing its skin, red muscle and sinew visible for all to see. It was hard to tell what had actually killed him, but she noticed two deep horizontal slashes across his abdomen. Killed by a knife and not a gun. The skinning had been done with expert precision and as she looked up she saw the skill in the knot work used to bind his feet. This person obviously knew what they were doing and had planned this. It was not the work of a simple butcher who had flown into an uncontrollable rage. 

“What do we do now?” the deputy asked from behind her, breaking the silence that blanketed everything. 

Billie turned to him. “Start cuttin’ ‘em down,” she ordered gruffly. The deputy complied immediately, freezing at the irritated look Sheriff Ashmore gave him before shrugging and pulling out a knife. 

Ashmore sauntered over to her, shuffling the cigar to the side of his mouth so he could talk. “I’m usually the one to give orders ‘round here,” was all he said as he stood there examining the body. 

“Didn’t mean nothin’ by it,” she assured him, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. Even at the murder scene of ten people, Ashmore couldn’t stop with the macho alpha-male bullshit. 

“What kinda feller do you think done this?” He asked her, his eyes not leaving the corpse. 

“Dunno yet. A trapper maybe? Need to look around more.” 

She didn’t wait to hear his reply and headed to the back of the barn, weaving between the bodies like she was in the back room of a butcher’s shop. 

She set the lantern to the ground and crouched next to the body, one of her hands draped across her knee and the other swatting at a few flies buzzing in her ear. As she looked at what had been done to this person, she found herself thinking the other guy was luckier. Unlike him, this one wasn’t skinned, but their head was a bloody mess of flesh, the left half of their skull caved in with bits of brain matter poking out. 

“Do ya think he’ll come back?” Ashmore called to her from across the room. He was examining another one of the bodies on the floor. 

“Naw. He’s had his fill here. He’ll move on to another town that wont be out looking for him.” 

Her attention drifted to a dark trail of blood across the floor to her right, barely able to make it out in the dim yellow light. Bastard must have dragged someone away. Maybe as a sick sort of trophy? Or maybe he had a taste for human flesh. Nothing was out of the question at this point.

She stood up, lantern in hand, and followed the trail. It led out of the barn, through a side door that sat crooked on its hinges. When Billie tried it it wouldn’t budge. Probably got stuck after it was slammed shut. Determined, she turned her shoulder to it and slammed into it hard with all of her weight. It shifted forward a bit but got caught up in the uneven ground outside. It took another shove and the door gave way with a crack, now only attached by one hinge. 

Vaguely, she heard Sheriff Ashmore say something to her as she stepped out the doorway, but her brain didn’t register the words. She was a woman on a mission and didn’t care one lick what he had to say. Beyond the door there were more blood stains that led away from the barn, nothing more than dark, wet patches soaking the dry earth. She followed them as quickly as possible, though it was difficult in such low light. Luckily the light of the full moon helped some, lighting the way as she went. 

The trail led on for some time and the only thing Billie could think was: _Damn the human body sure has a lot of blood_. The trail led to an old abandoned mine, long stripped of any of its gold or and other precious minerals. The killer may have been some crazy recluse living in the tunnels. Or possibly he just used them to get from one place to another, she was pretty sure there were a few other entrances to the mine. Billie paused, considering going back to get backup, but snorted dismissively when she thought of her options. A blowhard sheriff and a deputy that almost shit himself when he saw the crime scene. She was better off by herself. 

Carefully, she stepped into the mouth of the mine. It was sloped downwards slightly and she had to dig in her heels from losing her balance as loose stones shifted under her feet. She had debated putting out her lantern so she didn’t alert anyone to her presence, but now that she was inside she was glad she didn’t. There was absolutely no light in the cave and the measly little flame kept some of the oppressive darkness at bay. She could feel every hair stand on end as she crept as silently as possible down the corridor, trying to listen for a sign of something but only able to hear her own heartbeat thundering in her chest. She passed some offshoot tunnels carved into the rock walls of the cave and she paused at the mouth of each one to listen for any activity. She heard no noises from any of the so she decided to stick with the wider main tunnel.

The sound of metal scraping against stone made her jump, until she realized she had walked over something metallic. Crouching to examine it she found some small pieces of what seemed like rope, only it was made out of a metal substance that sliced her fingers open when she went to touch it. She shook her hand in pain before sticking her fingers in her mouth to suck on the wound. As she did, she became aware of a soft, barely audible chirping noise coming from somewhere. The sound was sort of like a cricket, but it certainly wasn’t from any insect Billie had encountered before. She searched for it for a few seconds but couldn’t find what was making it. She didn’t have time to look for some stupid bug, so she got up from the crouch and continued on. 

She rounded a corner and her ears caught the sound of growls a ways in front of her. _Shit, are there some wild animals in this mine?_ she thought anxiously, pulling her revolver from its place on her hip. She continued to inch forward towards the noises, which got gradually louder and louder, the growls turning to viscous snarls and roars. Every so often she would feel the reverberation of a heavy impact through the stone around her. Were there damn elephants fighting each other up ahead? 

She propelled her feet towards the sounds desperate to know what was going on. Suddenly the tunnel opened up to a cavern with a tall ceiling lined with sharp stalactites that reminded her of fangs. From the dim light of her lantern she could make out the shapes of two people fighting, both over seven feet tall. She couldn’t make out much other than their imposing builds, suggesting that it was two men. 

One of them, slightly taller and more thickly built than the other, jabbed his elbow into his opponent’s ribs, causing the shorter one to lose his balance. The bigger one saw his opportunity and grappled the other one before throwing him right into one of the knife-like stalagmites jutting from the ground. The stalagmite dug deeply into the shorter one’s back and Billie could faintly make out a splash of fluorescent green liquid dripping down the rocks and heard the man wheeze in pain. The taller one stood up and let out a roar so loud it shook the cave itself, causing some rocks to dislodge from the ceiling. 

Billie dodged some falling debris with a loud gasp, and barely had time to register the tall one’s head whip in her direction, long tendrils of black hair arcing around him as he did, before he was upon her and she felt like she was hit by a train. She went flying backwards a ways before landing hard on her back, the air knocked out of her lungs as she impacted the hard stone. She lost the grip of her lantern and it shattered on the ground, throwing her into complete darkness. 

She felt the weight of a heavy foot press down on her chest, keeping her from taking in any air. She gasped like a fish out of water, desperate to relieve her burning lungs. She heard the slide of metal and realized: _fucker just pulled out a knife_! She fumbled with her revolver and managed to squeeze the trigger. A shot rang out and echoed through the large chamber. She must have hit him somewhere because she heard a surprised yelp of pain. Then she felt wind across her face and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. The other man must have gotten back up and used her distraction to tackle him. She heard them impact the wall and the sounds of the fight starting up again in earnest. There was a sudden hiss of air and the clang of metal against stone from across the room. 

Billie sat up and could suddenly make out two glowing orange eyes in the darkness, looking like little floating orbs of fire. Billie saw her opportunity and before she knew it she lifted her revolver and took aim. The adrenaline pumping through her body slowed everything down, helping keep her hand from shaking as she fired. The shot hit its mark perfectly, blowing through the man’s eyeball before he bellowed in agony. Another bright green splatter appeared on the wall behind him. 

She could hear his heavy footsteps as he turned and retreated through (what she guessed) was another tunnel leading out of the cavern. She saw two yellow shapes flash in the darkness before she heard the other one turn to give chase. 

Billie collapsed backwards, her head falling to the ground again as she caught her breath. _What the **fuck** just happened? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh poor Billie didn't realize what she was walking into. 
> 
> Let's hope she shot the right yautja in the eye!!!
> 
> BTW the next chapter will shed some more light on what went down in the cave. I tried to keep it somewhat ambiguous because she couldn't see anything.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter in tandem with the last so that everything made sense. Luckily for you guys, that means two chapters back to back. Hell yeah 😎
> 
> As always, please let me know if you catch any typos/errors. (This chapter was a bitch to edit because half of the dang words were underlined in red 'cuz, ya know, yautja words)

Tarei'hsan had followed the  _ ic'jit _ into the caves, purposefully allowing for his steps to fall heavy on the stone. He wanted his enemy to think he had the upper hand, to get sloppy and let his guard down. 

The _ic'jit_ had been waiting for him in the tunnels, the body he dragged as bait discarded nearby, leaning against the wall of the cave. Tarei'hsan bellowed out a roar of challenge and had quickly rushed for him, making it seem like he had let his rage and thirst for the hunt overtake him. The _ic'jit_ turned swiftly on his heel and fled deeper into the tunnels towards where the _t'gou_ had been. 

“ _ M-di pa'ya-te _ !” Tarei'hsan shouted as he gave chase. “ Turn and face me,  _ pauking s'yuit-de _ ”

The _ic'jit_ continued towards his destination, not responding to the arbitrator’s taunts. He passed through the trap and continued running, only to turn and extend his _dah'kte_ just as the _t'gou_ should have released, trapping Tarei'hsan. 

He did not get to properly appreciate the  _ ic'jit’s  _ surprise when he realized his plan didn’t work. Tarei'hsan had prepared himself to attack,  _ dah'kte  _ already extended as he lunged at his prey. His blades pierced the other yautja’s thick hide, creating two deep punctures on his right flank right under his ribs. The  _ ic’jit _ barely had time to let out a yowl of pain before Tarei'hsan moved to strike again. The  _ ic’jit  _ barely managed to bring up his own weapon to parry. 

The two continued to swipe and dodge within the narrow corridor. The  _ ic’jit  _ managed to recover from his initial surprise faster than Tarei'hsan would have liked, managing to land a few good blows of his own. A particularly hard punch to the crest left him reeling before he turned to bull-rush the  _ ic’jit _ backwards. 

They ended up in a large cavern with sharp mineral deposits lining the floors and ceilings. Tarei'hsan was thankful for the extra room to maneuver. He almost considered pulling out his ki'cti-pa so he could put more room in between him and his opponent - who had a few inches on his as well as a slightly heavier build. The long spear would likely get caught on the rocks sticking up from the floor so he decided to stick with his  _ dah'kte _ . 

They continued on like that for a while, exchanging blow for blow. The  _ ic’jit _ had a slight upper hand in strength, but Tarei'hsan made up for it with his superior speed. The  _ ic’jit _ went in or a left hook but it had been a feint. When Tarei'hsan went to block, his opponent used that opportunity to slam his elbow hard into his ribs. Tarei'hsan was momentarily caught off balance and the  _ ic’jit _ took advantage of that, grappling his shoulders and slamming him hard into one of the razor sharp rocks in the ground. It pierced his back right next to his spine and Tarei'hsan wheezed in pain.  _ Cjit _ _! _

The ic’jit moved to deal the final blow, letting out a victorious roar that caused some of the rocks to dislodge themselves from the ceiling. The two of them both registered the gasp to their side and spun around to see an ooman standing at the tunnel’s entrance. Tarei'hsan had never been more surprised when he realized who it was. His ooman! She must have followed the sounds of their fighting and both of them had been too wrapped up in the heat of battle to hear her jangling footsteps. 

He watched in horror as the  _ ic’jit  _ bore down on her, probably spurred on by the scent blood that wafted from her and the firearm in her hand.  _ Pauk! _ The flame she had been using for light sent sailing through the air before extinguishing as it hit the floor. The  _ ic’jit  _ placed his foot on her chest and deliberately re-released his  _ dah’kte _ so she could hear. Not only was he going to kill her, he wanted her to feel afraid.

Enraged, Tarei'hsan removed himself from the spike impaling him with a wheeze. He was pretty sure it had punctured a lung, not that he cared right now. He charged towards the  _ ic’jit _ , but before he made it there he heard the sound of her firearm going off. His opponent yelped in surprise as the bullet pierced through his thigh and Tarei'hsan used that as an opportunity to tackle him away from the  _ ooman _ . He slammed the  _ ic’jit _ into a wall and stunned him for a second. Tarei'hsan angrily dug his claws into the side of his face, managing to rip the  _ ic’jit’s _ biomask away with a hiss of air as the tubes of air detached. He threw it across the room and it hit the floor with a metallic clang. The other yautja’s orange eyes glowed hotly with anger as they continued to fight. 

All of a sudden, there was a loud bang and the  _ ic’jit _ was pierced through the eye. His fluorescent green  _ thwei _ splattered on the wall behind him and the yautja howled in pain. It took a second for Tarei'hsan to realize what had happened. The female had managed to hit him directly in the eye with a shot from her firearm. Though already impressed, he became more so when he remembered  _ oomans _ could not see well at all in the dark. She was quite the shot. 

Now grievously injured, the  _ ic’jit _ turned to flee through another tunnel. Tarei'hsan moved to follow, but before he did he turned back to the female, flashing the eyes of his mask at her. Though he didn’t know if she would understand, he’d hoped it would convey his regard to her. 

Tarei'hsan followed the other yautja through the winding tunnels of the cavern. Before he managed to catch up, he heard the telltale clicking of an  _ akrei-non _ and barely had enough time to duck into one of the side tunnels for cover before the blast went off, collapsing the tunnel behind the  _ ic’jit _ . 

Knowing he had no way to catch up to his prey now, Tarei'hsan slumped down to the cave floor and pulled out his medicomp. Better to take care of his injuries before seeking out the  _ ic’jit _ again. He would not be very hard to find, bleeding as much as he was. 

He quickly chiseled off some of the nearby rock with one of his knives and threw it into the burner before adding a solvent to create a bright blue gel like substance. He took it and slathered it over the deep puncture on his back, hissing quietly as the hot medicine bonded to his skin. Then he quickly used the rest to patch his other less serious wounds before pulling out the needle of healing accelerant. He injected it into his chest and could not help the bellow of pain that escaped him as the large needle punctured deep into the tissue. He could feel the tingling sensation as the medicine coursed through his veins, lessening the pain of his punctured lung already. 

Wounds healing, his mind turned back to the _ic’jit_. He would not go too far, needing to stop and heal more than Tarei'hsan did. What would he do after? Would he come for the little  _ ooman _ who shot his eye out? From the little interaction Tarei'hsan had with him, he could already tell that the other yautja was a spiteful shell of his former self, driven by desperation and a thirst for violence. 

He needed to find his  _ ooman _ quickly...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations: (there are a lot this time)
> 
> ic'jit - bad blood (I hope everyone knows this one by now but I'll keep it in lol)  
> t'gou - net  
> M-di pa'ya-te! - No honor!  
> pauking s'yuit-de! - fucking coward!  
> dah'kte - wristblades  
> ki'cti-pa - combistick  
> Cjit! - Shit!  
> Pauk! - Fuck!  
> akrei-non - bomb
> 
> *****
> 
> Anyone else catch our boy Tarei'hsan's Fruedian slip there? ;^)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** Another content warning for those who need it. This chapter contains some attempted sexual assault. Proceed with caution. 
> 
> And as always, if you come across any typos/errors please let me know

Billie’s heart pounded against her ribcage, feeling as if it was trying to escape her chest. If it was, it was smarter than her, because all she could do is lie there with her head spinning, trying to make sense of what she saw. Not that there was any sense to be made. There were two seven foot tall, impossibly muscular men duking it out in an old abandoned mine. Were they demons? Their inhuman growls sure made them sound like it. Maybe God was testing her or punishing the town of Calico for some misdeed. It was the only explanation she had at the moment, though it left her feeling unsatisfied. 

All of a sudden she heard a huge boom and the walls of the cavern started to shake violently. Had somebody set off dynamite?

Not wanting to be buried alive, she pulled herself to her feet, groaning as her joints cracked in protest. She’d have some wicked bruises come morning. She thanked her lucky stars that she hadn’t been pulled out of the tunnel she came from. If she had, it would have been that much more difficult finding her way out of here in the dark. 

Putting her hands on the wall, she started feeling her way forward in the pitch blackness. It was slow goings, she kept stumbling on rocks and losing the wall whenever she passed by a side tunnel. She was starting to panic, convinced that she had made a wrong turn, when she heard the familiar clink of metal under her feet. She never thought she’d be so happy to come across the damn stuff again, her fingers still stung where it had sliced them. 

The only sound was the heavy breaths she took with each step, trying to keep herself calm. He’d never felt so helpless in her life, unable to see and wandering aimlessly through a tunnel deep underground. She’d never been claustrophobic before but she was damn well starting to be. 

Her heart rate had increased again when she heard an echo bounce off the stone walls, coming from somewhere ahead of her. 

“Billie!” came the man’s voice. 

She whistled loudly before shouting “I’m here. Lost my lantern and can’t see a damn thing.”

Eventually, she came across Ashmore and his deputy who had come into the cave looking for her. _Never thought I’d say it but I’m actually glad to see Ashmore_ , she thought dryly as their lanterns came into view. 

As they walked back towards the mine’s entrance, both men interrogated her. “What the hell happened to you? Look like you been through hell.” Ashmore said. 

Billie decided that telling a version of the truth was the best course of action. “Followed the blood trail to the mine. Found the killer lurkin’ in the tunnels. We got into a fight and I lost my lantern. Got a good shot on him though and he fled. Think he gone and blown up the tunnel he was using, so it’s best if you go get some men to go check the other entrances, see if they can catch him.” 

She really didn’t want other people to get hurt trying to deal with the guy, but she didn’t know what else to do at the moment. She was exhausted and still trying to piece together what exactly they were dealing with. 

Ashmore turned to his deputy. “Why don’t you go ahead and round up the rest of the men and go check the other entrances. I’ll bring Miss Mayfield back to the station so she can rest up.” As much as she didn’t want to be with Ashmore, sleeping at the station sounded better than sleeping on the ground right this moment. 

They went back to the barn to get their horses, and by the time they reached the station Billie’s eyes were drooping heavily. She was about ready to go and sleep right in The Duchess’s saddle. Instead, she managed to swing her leg around her horse and dismounted before trudging into the station. As soon as she got there she plopped down in a chair, planning to not move a muscle until tomorrow. 

Ashmore flitted around the station, barking out orders to his bleary eyed men. It was the middle of the night and everyone was dead tired. But the other policemen shuffled out of the station to go do their duty, albeit with more than a few grumbles. 

When it was just them in the station, Ashmore came over and offered her a cup of tea. She grunted her thanks before taking it, the warm beverage soothing her aches a bit. 

Ashmore sat down in the chair next to her, his knee brushing her’s as he did. She tried to tactfully move her leg away, not wanting to upset him and lose a comfy place to sleep. 

Ashmore pulled out a flask and took a long drink before turning to her. “You know, you is quite the woman, Billie Mayfield. Running after a killer into an old abandoned mine by your lonesome.” He clicked his tongue and put his hand on her knee. “I like me a woman with spirit.” 

Billie’s first reaction was to simply turn to him and gawk, astounded he was pulling this shit right now. He seemed to take that for an invitation and he leaned in. She managed to turn her body so that he ended up pressing into her neck. He started kissing her there, mumbling something she could comprehend, and didn’t want to for that matter. 

She quickly got to her feet, shoving him away as she did. 

“Now don’t be like that darlin’,” he crooned at her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath. That was certainly not his first drink of the night. 

She turned to walk away and he snatched her wrist with one hand before wrapping his other arm around her waist, trying to pull her closer. 

She struggled in his grasp, but he held her fast. Damn he was either strong as shit or she was just that tired. “Eat shit!” she told him. 

His grip tightened painfully, his nails digging into her skin. “Ain’t nobody say no to Cole Ashmore, ‘specially a broad like you.” 

Instead of giving him the satisfaction of an answer, she brought her knee up hard right between his legs. His eyes bulged out of his head and his grip went slack before he fell to the ground holding his crotch in pain. _Serves him right,_ she thought before she spit in his direction. 

She turned around to leave the station but she felt a hand tug hard on her jacked. Ashmore had managed to recover and snag the edge of her jacket. She quickly whipped around and smashed her elbow into his face. He howled in pain and let her jacket go. 

She stomped down the stairs and quickly unhitched The Dutchess. She was about to get in the saddle when Ashmore appeared through the door frame, blood running down his nose and face red with rage. 

“You ain’t ever gonna work in these parts again! I’ll make sure of it bitch. See what kinda bounty gets put on your head for assaulting an officer!” he shouted at her. The few people that were still milling about all turned to stare at the commotion. 

“With all do respect, _officer_ , kiss my ass,” she said as she slid into the saddle. For good measure she flipped him the bird before tugging at the reins. The Duchess took off and before anyone could react she was out of the town limits. 

_Shit_ , she thought wearily, _there goes my goodnight sleep_ . All because Ashmore thought more with his dick than with his head. _Sigh_. She doubted he would actually put a bounty on her head, but she didn’t doubt his other threats. Ashmore and his father had some strong connections to other sheriffs as well as a lot of wealthy folk. She’d have to turn tail and find a new place to settle down. But that was after she racked down this killer. He was gonna pay for what he did to poor ol’ Stan Parsons and the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Billie didn't deserve this, but Ashmore certainly did. Fuck that guy, am I right? 
> 
> I have a feeling everyone will like the next few chapters. ~Very exciting~


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho ho ho, what do we have here >:3c
> 
> As always, if you find any typos/errors please let me know.

Tarei’hsan retraced his steps back to the large cavern. The _ooman_ was no longer there, though he could see the traces of her body heat lingering against the otherwise cold stone. He followed her warm footsteps through the winding tunnels of the cave, coming across the shredded _t’gou_ on the ground. He could smell the faint iron smell of ooman blood. She must have come across it and cut herself. He picked up the shredded pieces and removed the _gkinmara_ from the wall, not wanting to leave any evidence. 

He hurried the rest of the way out of the cave and followed her trail back to the structure where the _ic’jit_ had carved up the other  _ oomans _ . She had probably ridden her animal back into town, so he quickly took to the rooftops to search for her there. 

There was a bit of commotion outside one of the structures, a man was holding a cloth to his face, drying up the  _ thwei _ dripping from his olfactory organ. There were signs that the female had been in the structure he stood in front of, but she was no longer there and he continued on. 

He eventually found her back in the desert, camped out for the night with her head covering over her face once again. Her grazer lingered nearby, bending down to eat some grass. He let out a sigh of relief, glad that the  _ ic’jit _ had not gotten to her before he did. Now that he was here he would protect her. 

He was content to settle down a ways away from her when he remembered the metallic object he had picked up. She had seemed very distressed when she found it missing and he thought it prudent to return it to her. 

He quietly skulked closer to her, mindful not to draw the attention of her grazer. He took out the silver object and gently placed it next to her slumbering body. 

Tarei’hsan took this chance to study her, wondering if he would ever get the opportunity to get so close to her without her noticing again. He took note of her outer covering, made from tanned animal skin. Did she craft this herself or did she simply trade for it? Her shoes were made out of a similar material, and he peered at the metal spikes on her heels. Up this close he could clearly make out that they were a rounded disk shape with spokes around it. The jingling sound came from small pieces of metal wrapped around them. So strange. He really wanted to know their purpose. 

She seemed of above average height for a female _ooman_ and her build was surprisingly muscular and he found he liked it. He could not make out the usual curves that their females had underneath her clothing. He wondered if this was purposeful or not. 

His eyes finally traveled up to her head and though he wished her head covering was not blocking his view of her face, he didn’t dare remove it. Instead, he chose to focus on the thick hair that she had growing from the top of her head. It was tied up behind her neck for the most part, probably for ease of movement, but some of it had escaped the tie she used to bind it, those tendrils curling around her head loosely. The color of it was similar to his own dresses, very dark almost black, but the strands were much more fine than his. He doubted they had the same sensation that he did, there would need to be very fine nerve endings in there. 

Not wanting to push his luck, he decided that was enough and turned to leave. He made it a few strides away when her grazer started to stomp its feet and snort loudly.  _ Cjit! Nothing got by this perceptive guard animal! _ he thought ruefully. 

He was just about to activate his cloaking when he heard the distinctive click of her firearm behind him....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:
> 
> t'gou - net  
> gkinmara - sensor  
> thwei - blood  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> Pauk! - Shit!  
> Paya - yautja goddess of the hunt  
> ****  
> The Duchess is the real MVP of this chapter, she is the ultimate wing-woman!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, sorry this chapter took a little longer to write than normal. I rewrote it like three times, since I wanted their first meeting to be good. I was a little uncertain of constantly switching POV but decided to leave it in. 
> 
> Let me know if you feel it was effective enough or if it was too hard to understand. And as always, please let me know if you notice any typos/errors/and the like. <3

Billie started down the sights of her revolver at the visitor currently trespassing in her camp, not realizing until she exhaled that she had been holding her breath, waiting for him to react. He simply stood there, still as a stature. Billie couldn’t even be sure if he was breathing. There was absolutely no movement in the whole camp for a few long beats. 

Billie studied the fresh wound on the back of the stranger, a large puncture wound covered in freshly healed skin. The tissue was bright green that shined with traces of what she assumed was blood, though it was no longer actively bleeding. It was one of the men from earlier in the mines, she realized as her half-drowsy brain started putting pieces together. 

The skin around the wound was ragged and reminded her of shedded snake skin, rough and flaky. Her eyes roamed the rest of his back, the texture made of small interlocking grey-brown scales, some larger than others and decorated with a pattern of darker brown and black scales. _Just like a diamondback_ , she thought. _I wonder if he would feel like my snakeskin belt?_

 _Though maybe I should keep from touching this particular stranger_ , she added hastily as she watched the corded muscles of his back move beneath his strange skin, making the patterns on his back dance ever so slightly. He silently moved down into a crouch as he turned to face her, not disturbing a single pebble under his feet as he did. _Well that was unnerving._

As he turned, she was able to make out more of his features. He was easily seven and a half feet tall and though he was crouched now, it did little to make him less imposing, as impossibly muscled as he was. She could see the strong muscles in his thick thighs strung taut, as if he was ready to pounce on her at any second. 

There was a leather kilt like covering wrapped around his waist, two slits on each side for ease of movement. On top of that was a loincloth made of chainmail and decorated with small bones. It was held secure by a thick belt that had various weapons and pouches for carrying equipment. 

He was undoubtedly dressed for battle, decked out in a full set of intricately crafted metal armor, the chestplate, vambraces, gauntlets, and greaves shone with a dull brass color in the moonlight. He was certainly packing too, with weapons stored on his back, waist, arms and legs, the most noticeable of which were the twin blades adorning his wrist, each a few feet long. 

The places that weren’t covered by armor or weapons were covered by some sort of netting that a fisherman might use, and beneath it she could make out the skin of his chest and underbelly, which was smoother than his back and lighter in color too, lacking the diamond patterning. The areas where dark met light were covered in pebble-like dappling and short, spiky protrusions that reminded her of porcupine quills. Every inch of his exposed skin was covered in scars, smooth green-tinted lines criss-crossing across each other, some from freshly healed wounds and others jagged reminders of battles gone by. Though she couldn’t keep from blushing slightly at his almost nudity, she wasn’t bothered or embarrassed about it because he didn’t seem to be. This was just how he dressed. Far be it from her to say how he could and couldn’t dress.

Billie couldn’t be sure if the long rubbery looking tendrils that hung to his upper back were hair or a headdress of some sort, especially since they were decorated with many metal bands and some animal bones. The tendrils emerged from an impassive copper colored mask that covered his face and the top of his head. It was mostly featureless, save for a heavy brow bone, deep set eyes and many scratches and markings that marred the surface. 

His massive hands were resting on the top of his thighs and she could make out the black, inch-long claws capping each finger. His feet were also tipped with black claws, four in the same place human toes would be, parted two on each side by the strap of a leather sandal, and another fifth claw on his inner foot, placed back more towards the heel. 

After taking him all in, she couldn’t help but let out a low whistle before lowering her gun. “You sure are impressive there, big feller,” she muttered under her breath, more speaking out loud than anything. 

***** 

Tarei’hsan froze when he realized the female was awake, not wanting to startle her further. He knew that some _oomans_ would react fearfully when observing a yautja for the first time, though to be fair most of them were being actively hunted when they did. Besides being startled by her sudden awakening, she was not behaving fearfully or irrationally. Though she had drawn her weapon, she hadn’t fired. Either way, he doubted the firearm would be able to pierce through his thick hide, except for a well placed shot in his spine, which could potentially be debilitating, especially where it was still healing.

Tarei’hsan moved then to face the _ooman_ , lowering himself so that she would not see him of as much a threat, though with him being yautja that didn’t mean much. He was always a threat. But hopefully the action would serve to put her at ease somewhat, at least enough to stop aiming a gun at him. 

The _ooman_ was appraising him now, quietly taking in details without lowering her gun. He allowed her to study him for he had been able to study her for quite some time, having followed her for almost two day-night cycles now. He did not mind that she was still pointing a weapon at him. It was understandable that she was weary of him and if she wanted to hurt him, she would have already. Though he was still ready to deal with the situation accordingly if she did decide to fire. 

She suddenly broke the silence hanging between the two of them with a low sound created by pressing the fleshy protrusions around her mouth - _oomans_ called them lips, he recalled - together and blowing out. It was something he had seen other members of her species do before, mostly to get another’s attention but sometimes simply for pleasure. This _ooman_ had done so before, as she was falling asleep beside her campfire the night before. He wasn’t exactly sure what she meant to convey in this instance, though it didn’t seem to be negative. That was confirmed when she followed it up with, “You sure are impressive there, big feller.” 

A compliment, he realized after his biomask took a few moments to translate the meaning behind her words. He was expecting, at the very least, an admonishment for trespassing in her campsite, so he was shocked when it was praise instead. He straightened his shoulders and puffed up a little bit in response. 

“You weren’t the feller whose eye I shot out, I’m hopin’?” she said, her words long and drawn out, sometimes blending together and making it harder for his mask to decipher what she was saying. He did not know what a ‘feller’ was, but he understood the gist of what she was asking. He shook his head, a gesture meaning ‘no’ in his culture, one of the few similarities between the yautja and _oomans_. 

*****

Billie was happy to learn he was not the one she had shot. The fact that she didn’t know if she shot her attacker or the other one was something that nagged at her as she replayed the day's events over and over. 

“What are you doing here? Trying to kill me?” she asked him. She didn’t think he wanted to kill her, but she asked anyway. She watched as he shook his head no again, or at least she hoped it meant the same thing it did to humans. “Hunting down that other feller?” 

He nodded and trilled slightly. Billie scrunched her face, trying to place the sound. She could swear she had heard it before. But she couldn’t place it. Nevertheless, she squared her shoulders before exclaiming, “Well good. So am I. Gonna make him pay for what he did to Stan Parsons and all those other folks.”

He regarded her for a moment before shaking his head no. She flared her nostrils at that and got to her feet, the stranger rising with her. She planted her feet wide and indignantly placed her hand on her hips. “You ain’t gonna stop me, ya hear? I’ll do it whether you want me too or not. It’d be better for you if we work together, so we don’t get in each other's way.” 

*****

Tarei’hsan regarded the female standing defiantly before him. She reminded him of a female yautja, despite being significantly smaller and softer than the females of his species. She had the same determined fire in her dark eyes, which simmered as she started him down, raising her chin slightly as she challenged him. As he considered her words, he let out a husky mix of a purr and a growl. He could tell she would make things difficult if he didn’t acquiesce to her demand of partnership, and he wasn’t keen on hurting her. However, even though she had demonstrated her proficiency in a fight on multiple occasions, he didn’t know if she would be able to handle the _ic’jit_ . Fighting other _oomans_ was one thing, but fighting a yautja was in a different category all together. They were one of the most deadly apex hunters in the galaxy.

He wanted to inform her what she was in for. He pressed a few buttons in his biomask with his mandibles, and it played a recording of an ooman speaking, encountered on some hunt in days past. “Dangerous.” The ooman who had originally said it had been talking about him. 

She didn’t back down. Hands still planted firmly she leaned towards him before firmly stating, “I know that. I saw the bodies, saw what he did to all those people. A lil’ danger never stopped me ‘fore this, and it ain’t stoppin’ me now.” 

He let out a series of clicks and trills, meant to express his agreement. He watched though as she tilted her head questioningly before her eyes got wide before she exclaimed, “You’re the woodpecker!”

It was Tarei’hsan’s turn to tilt his head at her statement. He did not peck _kiloun_. 

Before he could become too confused, she followed with an explanation. “Heard that sound a few times out in the desert yesterday. Thought it was a woodpecker, but I reckon it was you.” She tilted her lips slightly and raised her eyebrow at him. “You been followin’ me?”

 _Cjit_ , this _ooman_ was as sharp as her grazer. Apparently nothing escaped either of these females’ notice. He turned away slightly, almost bashful about getting caught again, before he nodded his head again while using his mandibles to play another recording, this time one of her.

“Impressive.” 

***** 

“You callin’ me impressive? Awe shucks, mister.” Bille pulled her hat over her eyes a little bit as she said that, blushing at the genuineness of the compliment. He looked like a kid who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and she had to suppress her giggle. There was something familiar about his voice but she couldn't place it...

She looked at him again. “So… pardners? For now at least?” She was really hoping she had changed his mind. He seemed decent enough and having someone like him watching her back would do a lot to ease her mind. 

She let out her breath as he nodded, the side of her lips curling up into a sly grin. “Well then, pardner, why don’t you light and set a while,” she said, motioning to her smoldering fire that was nothing more than hot embers now. “Got some questions for you. You can ask me whatever questions you might have, in return.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> kiloun - wood  
> Cjit! - Shit!
> 
> Cowboy Translations:  
> Light and set a while - come sit by the fire
> 
> *****
> 
> Yes, I really looked up the meaning of a bunch of Old West slang. I've been meaning to incorporate more into the story. Any that are sorta hard to figure out, I'll throw a translation in as well. 
> 
> Also, I love how Billie just casually mentions that he's packing, wink wink. A Fruedian slip on her part, perhaps? I didn't notice it until my re-read but it made me laugh so I kept it in. 
> 
> Tarei'hsan is based off of the western diamondback rattler snake, so if you want to get a visual for what his markings look like, pull up a picture of them scaly lads. 🐍


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have easily written a third chapter of them just chatting, since there is so much ground to cover, but I decided not to so the story keeps moving forward. Don't worry though, they'll both get their questions answered in future chapters. 
> 
> As always, please let me know if you spot a typo/error

Billie went to plop back down closer to the fire and she heard a metallic clinking near her feet - not her jingle bobs, she was too familiar with the sound they made. She vaguely remembered hearing the same sound when she got to her feet to argue with him, but her brain hadn’t really been able to process the information at the time, with tensions so high. 

She looked down and found a delicate silver chain wrapped around the heel of her boot, connected to a silver disk. In the moonlight, she could make out the etching on the back: ‘ _ To my little cowgirl. _ ’ 

Her eyes got wide as realization hit her. Her pocket watch! She moved to pick it up and inspect it. There were little streaks of dried mud on the outside, but it was otherwise undamaged. She clicked the top button and the watch clicked open. The picture was still in place, a photo of her dad giving her a piggyback ride around their hometown in Arizona. She was around ten then, all gangly limbs and scabbed knees. There had been some sort of fair or festival in town that day and a man in a too big suit and bowler hat had offered to take a picture of them, using some newfangled invention he called a ‘camera’. She looked then to the clock face, glass cover still pristine and the hands ticking away quietly. The time seemed to be accurate still, though she would have to check next time she was in town. 

The man made that clicking noise again, having seated himself across from her and watching her intently. Her eyes got wide as she put the pieces together. It made sense now why he had been in her campsite. 

“Did you -” she licked her lips as the words stuck in her suddenly dry throat. “Did you find this and bring it back to me?” Despite already knowing the answer, she still asked the question, more for her sake as she was still reeling in disbelief. 

The man nodded yes, the orange glow of the dying embers casting shadows across the planes of his mask. 

“Why -” she stopped herself with a shake of her head before starting over. “You know what? It don’t matter why you did it. My daddy always used to tell me not to question someone doin’ you a kindness. So I’ll just say thank you, mister. Got no idea what this means to me.” She flashed him a crooked smile to top it off. 

“Well since you done did such a nice thing, why don’t you ask a question first, if you have one. It’s the least I can do to repay you.” 

*****

Tarei’hsan watched intently as the female discovered her lost item that had become tangled by her feet when she stood to challenge him. He was pleased by her reaction, her expressive  _ ooman _ face going from disbelief to joy in the blink of an eye. 

He did not feel that she needed to repay him for anything. It had been simple enough to bring it to her and in his mind at least, she had - though inadvertently - saved him from the ic’jit. Though he was certain he would not have died, the fight had not been going in his favor by the time she stumbled upon it. 

Nevertheless, he took the female up on her offer to answer his questions. He had many, mulling over in his head which to ask first. 

“What… object is?” He rumbled deeply, choosing to respond to her by speaking directly versus using his biomask. Though he was relatively fluent in her  _ ooman _ language, the sounds were hard on his throat. His wording sounded wrong to him, but he was unable to come up with another way to ask what he wanted to know. 

The female started at him blankly for a moment. Trying to clarify, he motioned with his paw to the object still clutched tightly in her hands. She looked down to it and blinked. 

“What… oh! You’re asking what this is?” she asked, and Tarei’hsan nodded. For a moment there he was worried the language barrier between them would be too large to overcome. 

“It’s a pocket watch. Ever seen one before?” Ah, it was a primitive timekeeping device. That was not what he was expecting.

“H’ko. No.” 

“It’s used to tell time. See?” The female clicked open the ‘pocket watch’ and held it out for him to see. He leaned closer, switching the vision mode of his biomask to match the wavelengths of light her eyes were able to pick up. 

She tapped on the glass covering. “This hand is used to tell hours and this one minutes. There’s also a second hand but I almost never use that. Right now, it’s saying it’s 2:43 in the morning.”

Tarei’hsan was familiar with the  _ ooman _ clock, based on the cycles of their blue planet. The yautja had a similar way of tracking time, though they used a base ten system while the  _ oomans _ ’ was base sixty. 

He then pointed towards the opposite side of the ‘watch’. “What that?” 

“Oh, that’s a picture of me and my pa, back when I was little.” Tarei’hsan examined the picture again. So the pup in the picture was her. All  _ oomans _ looked similar to him, especially their pups, so he could not make out any resemblance. 

“What words on back?” 

The female’s face heated up at his question before she sputtered out an answer. “It says, uh ‘to my little cowgirl.’ My pa had it engraved before he gave it to me. Such a big ol’ softie, always embarrassin’ me and treatin’ me like a little girl.” Though her words were negative, she said the last sentence with what _oomans_ called a ‘smile’ on her face. 

So she was close with her sire. Tarei’hsan had known his own sire, having trained under him a few times on the clanship, but they had not been close. All his bearer told him about his sire was that he was an honorable  _ sain’ja _ who lived on the clanship, and that was all that was necessary. Male yautja did not have much to do with the rearing of pups, that was left to the females. He had many pups of his own, scattered across the cosmos, and he sometimes checked in with their bearers to learn of their progress. His youngest pup had just completed his  _ chiva _ , he was proud to hear. 

It did not escape his notice that she used past tense when speaking about her sire, so he questioned her about it. “Your sire no longer alive?” 

“Hey, it’s my turn to ask a question!” she huffed. He was about to start purring in an attempt to calm her warranted outrage - he had broken the rules of the deal they made - when she laughed, her anger nothing more than a playful facade. “I’m kiddin’. Yeah, he died a few years ago. Worked himself to death.”

*****

Billie could tell he wanted to question her more as he tended to rumble a little bit before talking. It had surprised her when he started speaking in a different voice than before, this one much deeper, his words muffled by the sound of growls and clicks. It was strange for sure, but Billie had met her fair share of strange people when sitting by the campfire. Some with thick accents she could barely understand, others who didn’t speak a word at all. She wasn’t one to judge and tended to roll with it. You couldn’t be picky about allies in her line of work. Besides, she had learned that one of those silent strangers was quite a good kisser. 

Before he could ask another question, Billie rubbed her hands together and said, “Alright, my turn. Let’s start out with an easy one. What’s yer name there, pardner? Mine’s Billie. Billie Mayfield. Well, Willow Mayfield, technically, but everyone calls me Billie.” 

She inwardly cringed at her word vomit, not sure why she was suddenly oversharing so much. What happened to cool and collected Billie? She asked herself. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or maybe it was the fact she was talking to a huge lizard-man who liked to stare at her. A lot. 

“Bil’ee” the man responded, adding a click between the syllables and drawing out the last one. She couldn’t help but giggle at his pronunciation. “That’s my name, what about yours?” She teased. 

He straightened his back before crossing his arm over his body and pounding his fist to his chest. “Tarei’hsan.”

“Tah-ray Has-on?” she tried sounding out the syllables, cringing at her poor attempt to replicate the clicking sounds he made. He chittered loudly while making a growling sound deep in his chest. Billie had the feeling he was laughing at her pronunciation. 

“Well, how ‘bout I call you something a little simpler? Maybe… Terry? Sounds kinda like the first part.”

He shook his head at her suggestion. She agreed, it didn’t fit him at all. “Well not that one, then. Hmm. You kinda look like a diamondback - a type of rattlesnake ‘round here,” she added when he tilted his head again, apparently a gesture meant to convey confusion. 

“If we run into one, I’ll show ya. How about Rattler? Rattles? Cuz, ya know, the sound you make?” He huffed at her comment and shrugged, apparently not convinced by any of her suggestions. 

“Well until I figure out how to pronounce your name or come up something better to call you, I’ll call you ‘pardner’. Or just ‘big feller’”. He nodded at that. 

*****

The female’s - Billie’s - attempt at his name had been very amusing. So had the nicknames she suggested. ‘Partner’ was adequate for now, though she said it somewhat strangely. He wondered if her accent was common among the ooman’s here, or if this was simply a quirk of hers. 

He didn’t want to waste his next question on something like that, so instead he decided to ask about something that had bothered him since his first encounter with her. “Why have metal on boots? Make noise. Easy to hear coming.” The reason why she would want someone to hear her approach was an enigma to him. 

“Oh, you’re talking ‘bout the jingle bobs on my spurs!” She lifted her leg up and flicked the metal, causing the metal to tinkle softly. 

“Why wear?” he asked. 

“You use the spurs when riding a horse, to direct ‘em. Though Duchy over there knows me good enough I don’t use ‘em much.” She motioned to her grazer - a horse as she’d called it. “The jingle bobs are just there to make sound. My uncle used to wear ‘em all the time and I would prance around the house in his boots.”

She stood up and continued, “They give you a certain swagger when you walk. I’ll show ya.” She looped her fingers in her belt, leaned back, and started slowly walking with her legs set wide apart. “Nothin’ quite like the look on a man’s face when you mosey on over to him all slow-like, your spurs jinglin’, right before you tromp his britches.” 

She moved her leather covering to the side to expose where she kept her firearm stored on her hip. “If you really wanna scare a feller, you walk up to him with your hand on your six-shooter. Most of the time they clear out without givin’ any more trouble.” 

She returned to her place by the fire as Tarei’hsan contemplated this. So they were an intimidation tactic. He could respect that. Certain yautja would decorate themselves with bones or sometimes toss their tresses to make the bands on them clink together, though nothing had quite the same effect as her method. 

“Okay, my turn.” He couldn't make out the last two words because she opened her mouth wide to take in some air. A yawn, he recalled. Yautja did not yawn, but he had encountered other species besides  _ oomans _ that did. She put her arm over her mouth and did it again, mumbling something Tarei’hsan thought was an apology but couldn’t be sure, her words too slurred to make out. 

She was tired.  _ Oomans _ needed to sleep more often than yautja. If she wanted to come with him to face the  _ ic’jit _ , she would need to be well rested. 

She started asking something but he cut her off. “Sleep” he commanded. 

“I’m not tired, not ‘tall” She protested, even though her eyes drooped heavily. With another yawn, she conceded. “Well maybe a little bit. But I don’t know nothin’ bout who we’re huntin’” 

“Tell tomorrow. Sleep now. Will watch campsite.” 

“Alright, alright. But you’ll have to answer two of my questions tomorrow as payment.” 

Tarei’hsan could agree to that deal. He nodded at her to let her know, but saw that she had already fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the ground, her head covering pulled over her face again. He laughed, quietly enough to not wake her, and settled in for the night, ready to protect his new ooman partner from anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> chiva - xenomorph hunt, right of passage for young yautja
> 
> Cowboy Translations:  
> tromp his britches - beat him up  
> 'tall - at all (not a contraction I'm planning to use a lot, it was just cuz Billie was sleepy)
> 
> *****
> 
> Our lovebirds continue their first meeting. Not pictured is me hiding behind a rock in the background while playing 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' on a boombox. 
> 
> Billie's attempts at giving Tarei'hsan a nickname are a mirror of my own struggles. I can sometimes be very picky with yautja nicknames.
> 
> I'm also glad our yautja finally got his question about the spurs answered. It had certainly been nagging at him for a while.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I may have lied about them not spending another chapter talking to each other. Though I promise it's just the first bit and they do actually make some progress in their hunt by the end. :)
> 
> And please, let me know if you spot any typos/errors/the like. <3

Billie woke up to the feeling of the hot sun warming her clothes. Wait, that wasn’t right, she usually woke up right as the sun rose. She sat up abruptly, her hat falling into her lap, and was momentarily blinded by the harsh sunlight. As her eyes adjusted she stretched her arms high over her head to crack her back, which was stiff from another night of sleeping on the hard ground. Apparently a very long night, she thought. She had wanted to get up early to keep things moving, but apparently her body had other ideas. It must have really needed the rest. 

She heard a trill to her left and turned, blinking her eyes a few times before her eyes adjusted. It took a moment for her brain to wake up, but she recognized the form of her new partner - Tarei’hsan he called himself - crouched in the same spot he had been when she fell asleep. Had he seriously not moved all night? 

She nodded and greeted him with a sleepy “Mornin’” before she pushed herself to her feet. “Shoulda woke me up to take second watch, so you could get some shut eye,” she told him before dusting herself off. 

She assumed her appearance at the moment was pretty ghastly, if the look of her clothes were anything to go by. She hadn’t had the chance to wash off the second round of mud from yesterday, and it had caked into the folds of the fabric. Not to mention the blood stains. Her hair had come halfway free from the pins she used to keep it back and was frizzed out and dirty, making it totally unmanageable. She pulled the rest down and used her fingers to pull out some of the bigger knots, making a mental note that it was high time to give herself a haircut. 

“I not need sleep. Bil’ee need sleep,” he stated matter of factly, still pronouncing her name with that click in the middle. It made her smile. 

She ended up giving up trying to get her hair to a state where she could pin it back again and settled for putting into a loose braid instead. Once she was done taming her wild mane of hair, she said, “Well next time you need sleep, I’ll take watch. Wanna pull my own weight around here.”

*****

The _ooman_ , Billie, was awake now, and he watched her shuffle around the campsite, still seemingly sleepy. Unlike yautja, who could immediately shift from sleep to alertness,  _ oomans _ tended to need some time to wake up. It was a trait he had exploited in some of his past hunts. 

He had not known exactly how long the  _ ooman _ sleep cycle was, so he had let her body wake her up when it was ready. Right now though she was grumbling around camp and mentioning he should have woken her up earlier, so they could ‘get a move on’, as she had put it, apparently very eager to hunt the  _ ic’jit _ . Tarei’hsan only half paid attention to her words, instead focusing on her dark mane as she groomed it, watching as she wove it together to tie it back. It was something he had seen female yautja do to each other - their tresses tending to be slightly longer than the males’ - usually before a hunt or certain ceremonial events. He found it curious the practice was shared across both species.

She started rifling through the pouches stored on her horse and pulled out some things he recognized as  _ ooman _ food as well as a metal tin of some sort. She went towards the remains of the fire and started to light another. 

“Makin’ some coffee. Want some?” she asked, holding out the tin in his direction. 

He took it with one of his paws and examined the tin, sounding out the word she’d used for it, “Coffee.” It didn’t sound right coming from him. 

“Yup, helps wake me up. I’m gonna need some if you don’t want me fallin’ asleep in the middle of a fight.” 

Tarei’hsan nodded in agreement. That would not be an ideal situation for him. He continued to study the tin as she boiled some water in a small pot. He found the seam of the lid and pried it open with one of his claws. His sense of smell was immediately overwhelmed by the pungent odor of the substance inside and he recoiled from it with a grunt. 

“I ‘spose that’s a no, then. It’s not for everyone,” she chuckled before taking the tin back from him. She prepared her drink and settled herself on a rock nearby him. 

“So, I think you still owe me two questions.” she told him as she took a bite out of her food with her strange, fleshy mouthparts. “Didn’t think I forgot ‘bout that now, did ya?” 

Tarei’hsan simply stared at her, waiting for her to start asking questions. Yautja did not share the same need for idle conversation and pleasantries that  _ oomans _ always seemed to. There was always too much unnecessary chatter with them. To his relief, this _ooman_ picked up that he was not much of a conversationalist fast and continued on. 

“So, uh - and don’t take this the wrong way - but what  _ are _ you? You certainly don’t look human, that’s for sure. More like a lizard or somethin’...” she trailed off after he let out a displeased snort, moving to take a long sip from her drink and not meeting his eyes for a time. Tarei’hsan had seen the reptiles native to the planet before but did not see the resemblance. 

“Yautja,” he stated simply. 

She turned to look back at him. “And that is… what, exactly”

“Hunter,” was all else he offered. It would be difficult to explain the intricacies of his species culture with his limited vocabulary. This would at least get the point across. 

*****

Her new partner didn’t seem keen to give anymore detail on what exactly a ‘yautja’ was. Maybe he was still peeved about her calling him a ‘lizard’. _Smooth one there_ , _Billie_ , she thought to herself dryly. Maybe it would be best if she changed topics a bit.

“So then where are you from? Some remote island in the middle of the ocean? Middle of the rainforest? Never heard of y’all before.” 

“No ocean.” Tarei’hsan told her, then he pointed up at the sky. 

“You live in the sky? Like an angel or somethin’? Can you fly!?” 

He trilled out another laugh and Billie made a face at him. It wasn’t  _ that _ ridiculous of a guess! 

“ _ H’ko _ . From space.” he motioned upwards yet again. 

Billie started blankly at him for much longer than she would have liked before asking, “Space? So you’re from the moon?” 

He responded with another trilling laugh, husky and coming from somewhere deep in his broad chest. “Farther than moon.” 

“Mars?” she asked incredulously. 

“Farther.” 

Billie tried to think of the name of any other planets and fell short. Damnit, she should have paid more attention in school. The only reason she knew that was because she could sometimes spot it on a clear night. Her head was spinning trying to wrap her thoughts around what exactly he was saying. All of a sudden it clicked and she wanted to smack herself in the forehead. He was messing with her. Right?

“So then what are you doing here?” she changed subjects again, not wanting to be the butt of the joke any longer.

“Hunting  _ ic’jit _ . Bad blood.” 

“Bad blood?” she echoed.

“Yautja who break honor code. Run from punishment. Disgraceful.” 

“Oh like criminals? You hunt ‘em for fun or for a livin’?” 

“Both. Am Arbitrator.” He straightened his back as he said it, and Billie got the impression that it was an impressive position.

“Well, your job sounds a lot like mine. Maybe I should start callin’ myself arbitrator now,” she grinned at him. 

Tarei’hsan chuffed before proclaiming “Must attain many other ranks before you can be Arbitrator. Bil’ee is not even blooded  _ sain’ja _ .” She almost took offense before she understood he was teasing her again. Seemed like this guy had a sense of humor, even if she was often the butt of the joke. She could work with that, at least. 

“Well then, oh mighty Arbitrator, why don’t you start telling me more about this bad blood once we hit the road. Gotta know what I’m up against.” 

*****

Tarei’hsan followed behind the  _ ooman _ and her horse, slightly to the side so as to avoid the trail of dust kicked up by it’s hooves. They were taking the long way back to the mines, carving a wide circle around the  _ ooman _ settlement. He had suggested she take the lead since she knew the land better, could find the path of least resistance, and she was more than happy to do so. 

Every so often she would turn around to make sure he was still following. Earlier in their journey Tarei’hsan had activated his cloaking on the off chance they encountered other  _ oomans _ , but she had quickly pulled her horse to a stop when she didn’t see him anymore. 

Her enthusiasm to contribute to the hunt amused him greatly. It hadn’t even waned when he had told her details about the  _ ic’jit _ . Despite having agreed to take her along last night, he was still uncertain if it was a good decision to bring her. Despite her skills, she would most likely die in the battle, especially if the  _ ic’jit _ tried dealing with them one at a time. Tarei’hsan would do what he could to keep her safe, within reason. Though she interested him, he would not put her life over the sake of the mission. 

Now his thoughts wandered to what he would do with her after the  _ ic’jit _ was dealt with. Code dictated that any  _ oomans _ who learned of the existence of yautja was to be kept from telling anyone else. Usually that just meant a hunter would kill them, though he had heard tales of other yautja taking the  _ oomans _ with them instead. They were useful for many things, as a personal pet or living trophy, an  _ aseigan _ , or at the very least a host for  _ kiande amedha _ . Tarei’hsan was not sure what he would do, yet, instead keeping focused on the mission. This Billie had already distracted him enough, the last thing he needed was for his mind to be clouded with thoughts of the future just as he was closing in for the kill. Part of him thought it would be simpler if she was killed by the  _ ic’jit _ . The decision would be made for him. 

He had also considered the possibility of cloaking and leaving her behind to finish the hunt himself. But he had seen the passion in her eyes, the drive to get revenge on the  _ ic’jit _ , and he felt obligated to honor her wishes. He had informed her of the stakes and she made a decision to come. Her fate was on her shoulders. Besides, even if he had snuck off, he knew she would somehow find her way in the middle of their confrontation anyway. She was stubborn, like a yautja female. 

All of a sudden, she banked left and brought her horse around in a wide loop to slow its momentum. She let out a high pitched sound to get his attention - a whistle, she had called it, after he had questioned her the first time she did it to him. 

Apparently, she had spotted something in the dirt, and she dismounted her horse to investigate it. He slowed himself to a halt and approached her. 

She pointed at a splotch on the ground. “This is his blood, yeah? Color is very distinctive against all this brown.” She gestured to the landscape around them with one of her arms. 

Tarei’hsan was impressed she had spotted it at all. It was a small smattering of blood on the side of a rock, cold enough now that his mask’s heat vision would have only made it out if he were to run right next to it. He quickly flashed through his vision modes to look at it in her vision spectrum, and he could see what she meant. A bright flash of bright green against an otherwise drab landscape, though you would still need to be looking for it to make it out. Billie certainly had impressive eyesighty. He grunted at her and nodded his head to answer her question. “ _ Sei-i, thwei. _ ”

She busied herself with poking at it and Tarei’hsan turned to scent the area. Given how injured the  _ ic’jit _ had been , there was sure to be more close by that would lead them right to him. Sure enough, he found a larger puddle of  _ thwei _ soaked into the dry earth. He rattled at her to get her attention and she made her way over to him, clicking for her horse to follow. 

When she made it to him she told him, “Well lucky us. The ol’ sonuvabitch left us a nice trail.” before flashing him a cocky grin. He had originally been put off at her propensity to flash her teeth at him, but she did it enough, usually accompanied by a sound he knew was laughter, that it no longer bothered him. 

“Now true hunt begins.” he told her, before taking off in the direction of the trail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> H'ko - no  
> sain’ja - warrior  
> aseigan - servant  
> kiande amedha - hard meat (xenomorph)  
> Sei-i, thwei - Yes, blood
> 
> *****  
> Lmao, Tarei'hsan smelling coffee is me. Something about the smell gives me a headache :(
> 
> Also, Billie has absolutely no concept of an alien whatsoever. I did some research and though there was some talk of life somewhere other than earth, it was mostly regulated to academic circles, which she surly wouldn't be involved in. I tried to keep her reaction true to real life, while also keeping the plot moving. Don't worry though, it will come up again.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter for you, this time with The Duchess starting shenanigans. Love that for her. 
> 
> As always, please let me know if you spot any typos/errors!

Billie was crouched down, still examining the large blood puddles, long dried and baking in the sun. After following the trail for a time, they had come across a large boulder smattered with green bloodstains, much more than anything they had come across previously. Had it had the same red color of human blood, she would have thought a pack of wild coyotes got to some poor drifter wandering in the desert. But it’s green color just made her imagine someone squishing the world's largest bug. 

Her partner had told her that their quarry had stopped here to deal with his injuries. Well, he had just grunted the word ‘Healing’ and started picking up discarded syringes and other equipment littered on the ground, and she put the rest together.

Right now, the big guy was standing behind her and she could hear the Duchess snorting and scuffing her hooves in the dirt. That damn hose could be quite temperamental. It wasn’t until she heard him utter a warning growl in response that she turned around to deal with both of them. 

The Duchess was clearly agitated and was throwing her head around in an attempt to intimidate him. Billie let out a short whistle to get her back in line. “Hey now, Dutchy. Be nice to our new pardner,” she scolded lightly with a few rubs to the horse’s long nose. 

“Dutchy not like me,” he rumbled from behind her in a low baritone. Billie had to suppress a giggle at his use of her horse’s pet name. She couldn’t keep her lips from quirking up and he tilted his head at her in response, a few black tendrils falling over his shoulder. ‘ _What’s so funny’_ , she could hear him asking her, though he didn’t speak a word. 

“She gets like this with strangers sometimes, ‘specially big men. She’s very protective of her momma, now ain’t ya, girl.” Billie finished her sentence by swishing her face to The Duchess’s and ending with a little kiss. The horse looked back at Tarei’hsan and snorted at him again. Billie rolled her eyes, then focused back on him. He certainly wasn’t helping his case, though, maintaining direct eye contact and widening his stance. Trying to look intimidating. “Would probably help if you stopped starin’ so much. Horses don’t like that much. Makes them skittish.”

He relaxed a bit and turned his intense gaze to her. She held it for a moment before continuing on, “Here, let’s give you two a proper introduction.”

She stepped closer to him and instructed him to hold out his hand. It was easily bigger than her head, but she shrugged off that thought and dug through her pockets to put a few sugar cubes in his palm. 

“Sugar cubes are her favorite. If you feed them to her, she’s bound to like you,” she informed him. When he didn't immediately move to go feed the horse, Billie took hold of his wrist and guided it over. The Duchess examined the treat in his palm, looked wearily up at him once more, then moved to eat them out of his palm. 

Billie began scratching behind The Duchess’s ears as she began the formal introduction. “Big fella, meet The Duchess, Dutch or Dutchy for short. Named in honor of her royal lineage and also for bein’ a royal pain in the ass.” Tarei’hsan stood stock still as The Duchess greedily ate from his palm. So still Billie could swear he stopped breathing. But he didn’t move his hand away so she continued with his introduction. “Your royal highness, this is…” she paused, not confident enough to say his real name without butchering it again. “This is Pardner. Also known as Big Feller. He has another name but I can’t say it - don’t give me that look.” she retorted when her horse glanced her way. _Let’s see her pronounce his name then_ , she huffed to herself. 

The introduction continued for a little longer, with Tarei’hsan even moving to lightly pet The Duchess behind the ears like Billie had done. The Duchess put up with it and Billie wanted to sing to the heavens, happy that her little hunting party was getting along. 

*****

Billie had moved to start digging through the storage compartments attached to her horse, and Tarei’hsan eyed the animal once more. From the gleam in The Duchess’s eyes, he could tell their silent battle for dominance was not over. Though Billie had assumed the animal was frightened by his eye contact, in reality he knew the horse was simply annoyed that her authority was being challenged. Seemingly this horse took after it’s owner; stubborn, willful, and unafraid to challenge him. He was torn between taking it as an insult and respecting their tenacity. On one hand he was not one to easily back down from a challenge, but on the other, it was hard wired in him to respect the authority of females, and that respect apparently carried over across species. 

He watched as the _ooman_ unfolded a piece of paper after retrieving it from storage. She smoothed out the creases against the flank of her horse and examined it before tilting her head up at the sky to inspect that as well. Curious, Tarei’hsan moved closer to her and released a questioning trill, switching his mask’s vision mode to make out what was on the paper. He had just leaned over her shoulder to get a better look, when his sensors picked up her heart rate increase. His proximity must have frightened her and he took a step back to give her space. _Oomans_ could become dangerous when they felt trapped or cornered. 

Her heart rate settled and she let out a grunt before speaking to him. “My best guess, we’re right around here.” She motioned to a spot on the paper and Tarei’hsan realized it was a map. She had been using the sun to gauge their position. Good. 

He pressed a few buttons on his wrist gauntlet and it began projecting a 3-D map of the area. A quick glance at it told him that she was right in her estimation of their position. He watched her get wide as she took in the projection. 

“That sure is a neat trick you got there.” she said in a low voice before turning to regard him again. “Where do ya think this feller woulda run off to?” Deeper in the desert? Another town?” 

He considered her question for a moment, appreciating that she recognized his expertise in the matter. “Likes to set traps. Will use terrain to advantage. To injured to win in fair fight.” He had initially been confused as to why the _ic’jit_ had prepared a trap for him instead of fighting him head on. It had weighed on his mind for a while, plaguing his thoughts as he guarded his sleeping _ooman_ . This _ic’jit_ had been an elder and was not known to be _s'yuit-de_ before he had been dishonored. After putting the pieces together, it made more sense. These were the desperate attempts of a yautja trying to escape at all costs. He had fled to this planet so quickly that he had crashed his ship in his haste. Though Tarei’hsan did not know exactly what he had done to dishonor himself, he could sense that the ic’jit was angry, most likely believing he was being unfairly punished, refusing to submit himself to judgement and instead coming here to take his anger out on the _oomans_ . Tarei’hsan had been initially overwhelmed by the brute force of the _ic’jit’s_ anger in their first confrontation, but now knew exactly what he was up against. This desperate struggle to escape from what the _ic’jit_ no doubt believed was wrongful persecution would lead him to slip up, something Tarei’hsan would exploit mercilessly. 

“Hmmm. There aren’t a lotta places he could set up traps in the middle of the desert. And he’s probably too hurt to head right back into another town. Ol' yellow belly needs some peace and quiet to recover from his injuries and set up shop.” Billie informed him before stunning back to her paper map. “Well how ‘bout this? There’s an old ghost town a few miles west of here. Place was completely abandoned once the gold dried up.” 

Tarei’hsan examined the place she pointed to on his own map. There were no other settlements nearby and no signs of life other than a few small mammals that could serve as a food source. There were still structures standing, making it an ideal place both for shelter and to set traps. There was a high likelihood the _ic’jit_ had retreated there. 

He nodded to Billie and they both set off in the direction of the abandoned town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> s'yuit-de - cowardly
> 
> Cowboy Translations:  
> yellow belly - coward
> 
> ******
> 
> The Duchess out here making Tarei'hsan check himself and reminding him who's boss. Queen. 👑🐴
> 
> Also, Tarei'hsan out here thinking her heart started beating faster because she was scared, not because there was a sexy alien man standing like two inches behind her ;)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And our protagonists finally confront the ic'jit. Finally! I've been waiting to write this part for quite some time and I'm very excited. Never thought it would take 17 chapters to get here, but that's another matter entirely. 
> 
> As always, please let me know if you catch any mistakes/typos.

Tarei’hsan stopped her right as the town was beginning to crest the horizon. They were close now, and didn’t need the sound of The Duchess’s hooves alerting him to their presence. 

She hopped down from the saddle and turned to her partner, “So what’s our game plan?  We just gonna mosey up in there or what?” 

He tilted his head pensively, obviously thinking of what to do. “Need to lure  _ ic’jit _ out. Not want to fall into traps.” 

“Hmmm. Well, I got an idea then. It might be a bit crazy, but it just might work.” When he cocked his head to the other side and looked at her, she continued with a grin. “Gonna challenge him to a good ol’ fashioned duel. Just me and him, won’t even know you’re here. A chance to take down the person who took his eye out will be too good to resist. And with him distracted, you can circle in from behind and catch him by surprise.” 

“H’ko. Too dangerous to challenge  _ ic’jit _ .  _ Ooman _ will die.” he said with a shake of his black tresses.

Billie tilted her chin up at him and crossed her arms. “It’s only too dangerous if you don’t do yer part. ‘Side, I’ve never lost a duel before.” 

Tarei’hsan moved to mirror her position, slowly looking her up and down. Testing her resolve no doubt. Billie had already made up her mind, though. She just needed to get him on board with the plan. 

He hadn’t yet agreed, but she continued on as if he had, moving to pull out some weapons from the saddlebags. “I’ll take Dutch up closer to the town and have her get outta there before shit goes down.” She turned to him and flared her nostrils, letting him know she meant business. “If anythin’ happens to me, take care of Dutch, will ya?”

He stared back at her for another moment before nodding his head in agreement. Billie got back in the saddle and picked up the reins. She was about to order her horse forward when she felt his big hand grab her elbow. Not hard, but just enough to make her pause. Even through the fabric of her jacket, she could feel the heat radiating off of his palm. 

He motioned down to her feet and said “No spurs. Too loud.” 

She flashed him a wide grin before informing him, “They’re a part of the plan, big feller.” She tipped her hat and winked at him cheekily before snapping The Duchess’s reins and the horse started moving forward with a low whinny. Before going to far, she turned around once more to watch him and saw as a blue light like lightning crackled over his body and he disappeared. 

*****

Tarei’hsan cloaked himself and watched his  _ ooman _ go. He agreed with her statement. She was  _ h'ulij-bpe  _ to challenge the  _ ic’jit _ on her own, even if the logic behind it was sound. He had wanted to protest more, to come up with another plan, but he had seen the fire in her eyes and backed down. She had made the decision to sacrifice herself and he would not let it be for nothing. 

He quickly ran left keeping parallel to the town, before turning back towards the town. He was cutting a wide berth around the town. This plan wouldn’t work if the  _ ic’jit _ saw him coming on his heat sensors. 

When he made it within a few hundred feet of the town, he stopped and crouched low to the ground, keeping one eye out for the _ic’jit_ and the other on Billie. She slowed her horse and dismounted before delivering a slap to the horse’s backside. The Duchess reared up and quickly trotted away to a safe distance. 

Tarei’hsan spotted the telltale shape of the _ic’jit_ , cloaked and perched on a roof in the middle of town, his attention solely on Billie. Tarei’hsan scanned the rest of the town, and saw there were  _ akrei-non _ and  _ t’gou _ placed strategically around the dilapidated structures, just as expected. He logged their locations so he could avoid them later. 

He snapped his head up at the sound of Billie’s loud whistle, a shrill sound that pierced the quiet. She stood a ways outside of the abandoned settlement and started shouting. “Hey! I’m here for you, you sonuvabitch. Come out and face me.” 

He watched as the ic’jit jumped from one rooftop to another without a sound, closing the distance between him and Billie. 

“Let’s settle this the ol’ fashioned way, with a bonafide western duel. Ever heard ‘a that? No tricks, no fancy weapons. Just the two of us and our six shooters.” Tarei’hsan balked at that. When she had said she was going to challenge the  _ ic’jit _ , he had assumed she meant  _ jehdin jehdin _ , but clearly she had something else in mind. 

The  _ ic’jit _ jumped down from his perch and regarded the  _ ooman _ , but did not answer her. 

“C’mon. Show yerself. Or are ya too scared I’ll take yer other eye out, huh? That I’ll make ya pay for butcherin’ those poor people!” 

He watched as the  _ ic’jit _ bristled at the insult and uncloaked with an enraged growl before starting to stalk towards her. Tarei’hsan saw his chance and darted to the top of a rooftop near the  _ ic’jit  _ but still out of his line of sight. 

*****

Billie watched as the bad blood revealed himself, that same blue lightning crackling in the air to reveal his form. As she studied him, she really began questioning if this had been the smartest idea. Brave, yes, but smart? She could feel her heart beating faster in her ribcage as she took in his large form. She remembered from their first encounter that he was slightly taller than her yautja, but what she failed to recall was that he was also more heavily built, with a big barrel chest and dense muscles as compared to Tarei’hsan’s leaner build. His skin was more pebbled than scaled and its yellow green color was more mottled than forming any distinct patterns. 

He was dressed similarly, only he was wearing silver armor and had a loincloth slung low over his hips with a codpiece like covering on top. His tresses were longer and had a slightly greyer tinge to them. They hung over his shoulders, drawing her attention to the two skulls mounted like pauldrons on each shoulder. Human skulls, she recognized with a shiver. And they looked fresh. As a hot wave of anger washed over her, making her skin flush red, she harnessed it to steel her frayed nerves. She was doing this so that Stan Parsons and all the others he killed could rest easy. 

He chuffed at her, a derogatory sound that made her lip curl in response. He slowly meandered towards her, removing the pieces of his armor as he approached, discarding them in the dirt around them. By the time he was within arms reach of her, he was only wearing the loincloth and his mask. The latter of which he removed slowly, a hiss sounding as he did. Just like last time. 

He tossed it to the ground with the rest of his equipment, and Billie had to stifle her gasp. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was expecting, but it surely wasn’t this. He had a large sloping forehead that was lined with a crest of spikes, where his grey tendrils grew from. He had a prominent brow decorated with darker spikes that were reminiscent of eyebrows. His remaining eye was set deep in his skull and glowed a molten orange, even in the bright sunlight. The other was nothing more than a mess of bright green flesh. He had no nose, instead the bottom half of his face was adorned with a set of four large mandibles, each tipped with a long tusk, at least two inches long. They were folded together now, but she could make out his large pink maw behind them, lined with the razor sharp teeth of a carnivore. She wondered if Tarei’hsan looked anything like him or if he was just a uniquely ugly member of their race. 

She watched uneasily as his mandibles began to twitch and tap together and he began to speak, a low husky sound that took a moment for her to even register as words. “I accept your challenge,  _ lou-dte kale _ .” Billie didn’t know what that word meant but knew enough to tell it wasn’t a compliment. He flared his mandibles out in a sneer before using his large hand to shove her shoulder, hard. 

She sneered at him right back and shoved back, the force barely moving him back more than a centimeter. His skin was hot and rough to the touch, just like Tarei’hsan’s. In the back of her mind, she sent up a prayer to God that her yautja was near and would follow through. Otherwise, she was definitely toast. 

Billie squared her jaw and craned her neck to regard the yautja that was standing chest to chest with her. Well chest to abdomen. “Now, I dunno how you do it where yer from, but ‘round here people settle disputes in one simple way. Ya start with your weapon holstered and both folks turn around and walk twenty paces away from each other. Then you both turn around and whoever shoots the other one first wins.”

She pulled another pistol out from her belt and handed it to him, handle first. “In case you don’t have one.” He took it with a grunt and inspected it for a moment. Billie had loaded it with six bullets already, for the sake of fairness. “Know how to use it?” 

“Sei-i.” He rumbled at her and turned his back to her. 

She took her place behind him and they slowly paced away from each other. Everything was quiet save for the wind whistling across the dry desert and the clink of Billie’s spurs. The sun beat down on her head from high above. It was high noon, the perfect time for a gunfight. 

She counted her steps as she went and as she neared twenty she laid her hand on the holster on her hip. She knew that the first person to draw in a gunfight was almost always the loser, and wondered if her opponent knew that too. 

She spun around, hand wrapped around the handle of her revolver, ready to clear leather at the drop of a pin. Her eyes zeroed in on him and saw that he had started to draw his weapon. Ha, rookie mistake. 

He was about to fire when he let out a yowl of pain as two deep puncture wounds appeared in his chest, up near the clavicle, spewing green blood all over his chest. _Tarei’hsan came through!_ she thought with glee.

Apparently the wound wasn’t enough to down him or mess up his aim and he loosed a shot at her, but she was prepared for it and able to duck and roll to the side just in time, the bullet whizzing past her ear. She got up to one knee and fired at him from the hip, fanning the hammer and letting all six bullets fly at once. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> H'ko - No  
> h'ulij-bpe - crazy/foolish  
> akrei-non - bombs  
> t’gou - nets  
> jehdin jehdin - hand to hand combat  
> lou-dte kale - child bearer (derogatory term for female)  
> Sei-i - yes
> 
> Cowboy Translations 🤠  
> six shooter - gun/revolver (name for the six chambers for the bullets)  
> fan the hammer - a shooting technique to increase the rate of fire for single action revolvers. the user hits the hammer repeatedly to keep it from cocking 
> 
> ******  
> The idea of a yautja and a human getting into a western style duel was one of the reasons I started writing this fic. I know that most of it is unrealistic and really only happened in old westerns, but I don't care. This is wish fulfillment fanfic to the max, baby! No shame!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little longer than normal. I just started up classes for grad school again and I'm getting used to my new schedule. 
> 
> If you find any errors/typos/anything of the sort, please let me know. I feel like I wrote and re-wrote this chapter like five times and just ended up posting it, so there is a good chance I missed some things 🙃

Tarei’hsan was shocked at the cleverness of his _ooman’s_ challenge - a duel as she had called it. Her taunts had stoked the _ic’jit’s_ anger, making him sloppy. He was so focused on her that he failed to notice the arbitrator behind him. Even without his biomask, the an experienced yautja like this _ic’jit_ should have been able to pick out Tarei’hsan’s faint heat signature amongst the background.

As the _ic’jit_ turned to fire, Tarei’hsan dashed forward, extending his _dah'kte_ with the intent of plunging them into his twin hearts. The other yautja must have heard the faint scrape of metal because he moved his body at the last minute and the blades pierced into his upper clavicle, missing their intended target by a margin. Still a debilitating would, but not fatal. 

The _ic’jit_ managed to maintain a hold on his firearm, and Tarei’hsan watched with dread as one of the projectiles flew towards Billie with stunning accuracy. He was relieved as he watched her skillfully roll out of the way before firing six shots in quick succession. They lodged themselves into the other yautja’s abdomen, dotting his hide with holes dripping with _thwei_ that painted his front bright green.

The _ic’jit_ roared in response, probably more due to his rage than the pain. Yautja were sturdy creatures and could take a hell of a beating. His injuries only seemed to spurn the _ic’jit_ on more and he began thrashing wildly to free himself. Tarei’hsan dodged the _ic’jit’s_ claws as he shoved his opponent off of his _dah’kte_. 

The _ic’jit_ fell to his knees, seemingly spent from his injuries. It was possible that time had finally caught up to the former elder and he no longer had the stamina of his youth. Tarei’hsan raised his blades to finish the job, but as he did the _ic’jit_ spun around and kicked him in the chest, the long claws on his foot raking deep into the arbitrator’s chest. Caught unaware, Tarei’hsan was knocked off balance and the _ic’jit_ capitalized on this, quickly launching a series of brutal punches that threw him back into the dirt. 

*****

Billie watched as the bad blood knocked Tarei’hsan onto his back before quickly turning to grab one of his weapons he had discarded before their duel. Not wanting him to rearm himself, she started charging towards him. She didn’t have time to reload the pistol in her hand, so she tossed it aside and pulled out another before shooting at the hand reaching for the weapon. The bullet barely missed, hitting the ground right between his fingers. She went to shoot again but the bad blood backhanded her hard and the gun went flying. She ducked under his next punch and deftly pulled out the bowie knife she kept tucked in her boot. 

Before she had a chance to attack, he swung at her again. She barely managed to block with the arm not holding the knife, but his claws tore through her jacket and the flesh of her arm as if they were nothing more than tissue paper. She stumbled backwards a few steps, stunned by the pain. She could already see the dark stain of blood spreading steadily through the fabric. 

Before she could regain her senses, the bad blood had snaked an arm around her middle and held her to him so tightly she could barely breathe. His arm felt like a steel beam around her and she couldn’t break free. The bad blood used his free hand to grab for one of his weapons, a long curved blade with a simple leather wrapped handle. Billie took the chance to elbow him right and the face and she heard a sickening crack as she broke one of his mandibles. 

He howled in pain and she could feel the spray of his blood land on her shoulder and in her hair before he dropped her. She caught herself on her hands and knees and rolled back onto her feet, knife still in hand and ready to strike. 

Before she could do anything, she watched as Tarei’hsan charged into him, pushing the bad blood away from her. She was thankful as she watched the two roll in the dirt for a moment before regaining their footing to continue their battle. She needed a moment to catch her breath. These creatures moved so fast it left her head spinning. 

She darted into an alley between two of the deserted buildings before pulling off her jacket and rolling up her sleeve to assess her left forearm. She winced at the sight of the wound, her flesh was torn to ribbons and bleeding heavily. She quickly tore off a piece of her shirtsleeve - the one that was still intact - and wrapped the fabric around the wound. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing. 

*****

As he faced off again with the _ic’jit_ , Tarei’hsan pulled the whip from his belt. He had underestimated his opponent before and would not do so again, erring on the side of caution and using a weapon that would keep some distance between them. 

He lashed out with his whip as the other yautja circled back to his discarded equipment. Tarei’hsan placed his strikes to keep the _ic’jit_ away from his weapons, his opponent moving steadily away from them as he dodged and weaved around the attacks. 

The _ic’jit_ suddenly realized what Tarei’hsan was doing and snarled at him before darting back towards a weapon. The arbitrator had been expecting that and his whip cracked hard over the _ic’jit’s_ back, leaving a deep gash in its wake. The other yautja took the beating, deeming it an acceptable sacrifice to regain his weapon. 

_Ki'cti-pa_ now in hand, the _ic’jit_ spun to face Tarei’hsan again, extending the spear as he did so. It was a smart choice of weapon, since it would also give him reach and was effective at blocking Tarei’hsan’s whip. Not having time to switch weapons, Tarei’hsan launched another volley of attacks at the _ic’jit_ with his whip, all of which were expertly parried. _Pauk_ , this wasn’t going to work. 

He tossed the whip aside before pulling out his own _ki’cti-pa_ and swinging it at his opponent. He focused on attacking the side with the wounded shoulder, as the _ic’jit_ wouldn’t have much range of movement there. Sure enough, he managed to dig his _ki’cti-pa_ deep into the _ic’jit’s_ flank. The other yautja ignored the injury, instead choosing to charge at Tarei’hsan, using his spear to pin the arbitrator to the wall of a building. 

_“Mo'ke ellos'de th'syra kch-k'cha'ku m-di's'ke'i!"_ the _ic’jit_ roared into his face, blood from his broken mandible flying everywhere. 

******

Billie ran back out from the alley and saw the bad blood had Tarei’hsan pinned to a building and saw snarling something in his face in their strange clicking language. Not waiting for anything bad to happen to her partner, she charged at the pair. Knife in hand, she jumped on the bad blood’s back and plunged the blade into the base of his neck, into his spinal cord. 

The yautja bellowed in pain and threw her off of him with an elbow to the ribs. She could hear something crack inside her before she went flying through the air and landed in a heap on the ground. 

Her vision was going spotty due to the pain - she was sure she had broken something - and she watched as Tarei’hsan capitalized on the opening she gave him, delivering a strong kick to his abdomen that sent him backwards. 

The bad blood regained his footing at lightning speed and the two exchanged more blows. Though the bad blood had sustained a lot of injuries, he was still bigger than Tarei’hsan. On top of that, he was fighting for his life right now, lashing out wildly in his death throes. 

Tarei’hsan was sustaining a lot of damage and the bad blood was not giving him any openings. Determined to do something to help, Billie forced herself to her knees. She looked around, but she must have lost her knife when she was thrown back. She had no more guns either. Shit. 

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a thick black rope in the dirt. She crawled closer to it and saw that it was some sort of segmented metal whip. She had never used a whip before, but she was good with a lasso and it was the only option she really had at the moment. She grabbed it and pushed herself to her feet, still wobbly from pain. Her body was begging her to stop moving but she ignored it. 

Instead she cracked the whip at the bad blood, almost falling back over as she turned her body. She was sure she had a few broken ribs. The whip wrapped around the yautja’s ankle and she pulled back, knocking him off balance.

It wasn’t much but it was enough. She watched as Tarei’hsan brought his wrist blades down towards the bad blood’s neck, separating his head from his shoulders with one swift motion. 

It was the last thing she saw before she collapsed to her knees and her vision went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja translations:  
> dah'kte - wrist blades  
> thwei - blood  
> ki’cti-pa - combistick  
> pauk - fuck  
> Mo'ke ellos'de th'syra kch-k'cha'ku m-di's'ke'i! - You are nothing but a trophy that is yet to be cleaned!  
> *******  
> Our bad blood if finally defeated... but at what cost??? (What if BIllie just died right here and I was like, oop end of fic, bye guys!! That would be mean, lol)
> 
> Also, I laughed when I realized I gave Billie like three seperate guns in this fight. Though it's pretty in character. She is the kind of person who if someone asked her to give them all her weapons, there would be a 5 minute montage of her pulling out guns and knives from increasingly improbable places. Tbh Tarei'hsan would also do this... they are a match made in heaven.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, this chapter took longer than expected to get out. Grad school is kicking my ass right now. Hopefully I will have the next chapter out in a couple days, it's already half written. 
> 
> As always, please let me know if you spot any errors/typos/mistakes! <3

Tarei’hsan stood there for a moment, breathing hard as the  _ ic’jit’s _ head hit the ground and rolled a few  _ noks _ away before coming to a stop. It was over. He had won. The former elder had been a worthy opponent, fighting with everything he had until the very end. Tarei’hsan retracted his wrist blades before spreading his arms wide and letting out a bellowing roar of victory. The sound echoed across the landscape, causing a flock of birds in a tree to take flight.

He did not bask in his victory long. Billie had been injured in the fight and was currently lying unconscious in a heap on the ground a ways away from him, his whip still clutched in her hand. She had been smart in using the whip to restrain the other yautja. It gave Tarei’hsan enough of an opening to finish things. In fact, all of her efforts in the fight had been impressive, for an  _ ooman _ at least. 

He pressed a few buttons on his wrist gauntlet to summon his ship to their location before he hurried over to where his partner lay. She still had a pulse, which was good, but she had a deep gash on her left arm that was bleeding heavily. A few quick scans from his biomask also showed extensive bruising as well as a few cracked ribs. 

He moved to gingerly pick her up, careful not to injure her further, and quickly carried her to where his ship had landed a little ways away. He would come back for his  _ th'syra _ and the  _ ic’jit’s _ gear later. Right now, he had to tend to the little _ooman_ who had helped him in his victory. 

As soon as he was in his ship, he headed to the medical bay. He placed Billie on a tall metal table and got to work immediately. He started with her arm, as  _ thwei _ loss was the most dangerous thing to her right now. He quickly cut away the fabric she had used to wrap the wound as well as the sleeve of her upper covering. He cleaned the wound before turning to a wall and pressing the smooth surface to open a drawer and grab his equipment. 

He pulled out a staple gun and quickly set about closing the deepest of the gashes. He could see now that they were made by the _ic’jit’s_ claws. Tarei’hsan could attest to their sharpness, as they had left deep cuts on his own chest that still bled a little, his green  _ thwei  _ trickling down his chest. He ignored his own injuries, which were minor in comparison, and opened his round metal burner, throwing the discarded fabric and the blue solvent in to create healing gel which he brought up to treat the rest of the cuts on her arm. He pushed the bottom of her upper covering away with one hand while he pulled out a needle of healing accelerant which he injected into her hip with the other. It would cause all her injuries to heal much faster than they would on their own, and was the only way to treat her broken ribs. She was lucky that she was unconscious for this procedure, something so painful that even a full blooded yautja would cry out in agony. Finally, he removed the rest of her upper covering and turned her on to her front, so he could apply a mild healing cream to the bruises on her back. 

Once he was done he stepped back to assess his work. He had done all that he could for her, and even with the yautja’s advanced medicine, he guessed it would be at least a cycle before she woke up. Her body needed to rest so it could heal. 

He cleaned up his equipment and moved to quickly wipe down most of the _thwei_ on the table and floor. His ship’s automatic cleaning system would take care of the rest. He turned back to Billie, considering her dirty clothing. He decided that he would wash them for her, so she could wake up to clean clothes. He grabbed her bloody shirt and quickly stripped her of the rest of her garments. He finished by going to retrieve a large pelt from his bed which he covered her with. He knew that  _ oomans _ were much more modest than yautja and did not like to be naked in front of others. Yautja were much more open about nudity in comparison, most likely because they spent many years as unbloods living in the communal training decks. A yautja did not have the luxury of privacy until they proved themselves as worthy hunters on their _chiva_. Only then would they be given private quarters on the clanship. 

Tarei’hsan turned and left the medical bay, heading back out of his ship to clean up the aftermath of his hunt. He collected the  _ th’syra _ , removing most of the flesh before putting it in his trophy net. He would have time later to clean and polish it thoroughly. He grabbed some of the weapons and other equipment to take with him, and the rest he piled up near the decapitated body of the other yautja. He also retrieved the rest of Billie’s gear that was strewn about the small  _ ooman _ settlement: her firearms, a knife that was covered in green  _ thwei _ , her head covering which had fallen off in the scuffle, and her outer garment which had been discarded in a small alley. 

The last thing he had to deal with was her horse, The Duchess. He jogged over to the animal, which had absconded a ways away, waiting in the midst of a cluster of dead trees. As he approached, he could see the animal was agitated, ears perked up and scuffing one of her hooves into the dirt. He neared her slowly, purring lowly like he would for an agitated female yautja. The sound tended to calm down females of his kind, and he hoped that it had the same effect on female horses. It seemed to work well enough and Tarei’hsan gave her nose a few little pats like Billie had shown him earlier. He noticed the small white diamond that was there, the only light spot amongst her otherwise dark fur. It reminded him of a yautja he had trained with when he was still a pup. His whole body had been a rich dark brown, save for small white markings on the top of his crest. It made for a quite striking look and many young females had taken interest in him, tittering their hopes the handsome yautja would pass his _chiva_ soon so he could mate with them. Unfortunately, his _mei'hswei_ died while battling the _kiande amedha_ , though not before defeating one and becoming blooded. Tarei’hsan had not thought about his old friend in a long time, and he stood there for a few moments petting the horse’s nose and thinking about days past. Apparently this animal had a calming presence on him as well. 

Everything was going well until he grabbed her reins. As soon as he started to lead her away, she brayed angrily and threw her head back, digging her hooves into the ground. She did not want to go anywhere with him. Foolish animal. He let out a low growl of warning and met The Duchess’s eye with a challenging stare. The horse snorted back at him indignantly. 

Looking for another solution, Tarei’hsan’s mind turned back to the lumps of sugar that Billie had fed to the horse earlier this morning. She kept them somewhere in her outer covering if he remembered correctly. He dug through the many different pouches in the garment before he located one. He placed it in his palm and held it out in offering. The Duchess sniffed at it wearily before she greedily gobbled it down. Apparently she was pleased enough to allow him to guide her to his ship. 

He left her right before the ramp leading up into the craft and turned back towards the  _ ic’jit’s  _ body. The last thing he did was go up and arm the explosive device in the  _ ic’jit’s _ wrist gauntlet. It would destroy all of the yautja technology that was around, as well as any sign of the battle that took place. 

He retreated back to his ship as the timer ticked down. He moved to lead The Duchess up the ramp but she protested stubbornly, apparently not keen to be cooped up in a small space. Another sugar cube was enough to guide her right into the doorway, though, and he quickly closed the doors before hurrying towards the pilot’s seat and flying the ship out of the blast radius. 

As he set down the craft a few miles away, he heard a dull boom before the shockwave of the explosion passed them, throwing up dust as it went. 

As soon as the ship touched down, The Duchess started snorting and shuffling around near the doorway. She was not too happy to be stuck inside right now, so he pressed a button on the dashboard to open the doors to the outside. The horse trotted down the ramp and settled into a grassy area nearby and started to graze.

With everything else settled, he quickly headed off to start dealing with the less pressing matters. He headed back into the medical bay to tend to his wounds before slowly stripping himself of his armor and weapons, spending a few hours making sure they were all cleaned and maintained well. He even took the time to clean Billie’s small blade. After packing everything back into its correct place, he grabbed Billie’s garments as well as his own dirty loincloth and threw them into the ship’s cleaning systems. He ended the day with a long soak in the large circular basin in the middle of his bathroom. It felt good to be clean after a long hunt. Even better was the feeling of sleeping in his own bed. He didn’t even realise how tired he had been until his body hit the furs, falling asleep immediately. 

******

Just as he suspected, Billie did not stir from her sleep for a few days. He checked on her a few times, making sure to change her bandages and check how her injuries were healing. Most of the bruises were gone and the cuts were already closing up nicely. She would certainly have a scar there, but he thought she could do with a few more scars. They would make her look as tough as she really was. 

Without much to do, he spent the rest of his time training in the _kehrite_ or performing checks of the ships systems. He was currently in the pilot’s chair examining a star map of the area around the  _ ooman _ planet. Well, he was supposed to be doing that, but he was turning his biomask over in his hands instead, too lost in thought to focus. He was still unsure what to do with her when she woke up. The honor code dictated that she could not be left with any knowledge of the yautja. He did not want to kill her but he was not sure if she would willingly join him and leave her planet. 

He was still mulling it over to himself when he heard her soft footsteps from behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> nok - unit of measurement (~13 inches)  
> th'syra - trophy/skull  
> thwei - blood  
> chiva - xenomorph hunt (yautja right of passage)  
> mei'hswei - brother (in this case it refers to a hunt brother)  
> kiande amedha - xenomorph (means 'hard meat')  
> kehrite - training room/dojo  
> *****  
> Just as an FYI, Tarei'hsan was the embodiment of the 'I am looking respectfully' meme when he removed Billie's clothes. And we love that about him. 
> 
> Also, I live for The Duchess being a giant pain in the ass but also has a calming affect on people, despite her primma donna tendencies (Which are deserved tbh)


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad I was able to keep my promise and post this chapter soon after the last one. Hopefully it makes up for the long wait!
> 
> If you spot any typos/errors please let me know!

Billie cracked one eye open with a lazy yawn. She rubbed the sleep out of her eye and blinked a few times to bring her surroundings into focus. She sat up with a stretch, raising her arms over her head, and immediately keel over when white hot pain ripped through her sides. 

_ Oh right. _ She had gotten herself hurt pretty bad in the fight with Tarei’hsan. Looking down at her body, she started to inspect her injuries. There was still some light bruising around her rib cage, which explained the pain earlier. She would have to be careful not to lift her arms too much for the time being. On her left arm she found white cloth bandages wrapped neatly over her cuts. She peeked under them and saw that the deep gashes were healing quite well. Most of the shallower ones were closed completely and the deeper ones had already begun to scab over. She wondered how long she had been out if her wounds had already healed this much. It had to be at least a week. 

She turned and swung her legs over the side of the metal table she was on, the blanket she had been covered with fluttering haphazardly to the floor as she did. 

It was only then that she registered she was as naked as the day she was born. Billie felt a slight blush rise to her cheeks at the thought not sure if she should be embarrassed or angry or thankful that she had been healed. She settled on the latter when her eyes landed on the neat pile of her clothes folded on a counter nearby. 

She hopped down from the counter, almost losing her balance after the higher than expected drop. Once she regained her footing, she headed to the stack of clothes, finding that they had been washed as well. How sweet. She grabbed her undergarments and quickly slipped them on, or well as quickly as she could go in her current state. Her button down shirt was a mess, one sleeve half torn and the other missing entirely. She shimmied into it and rolled up the remaining fabric of the sleeves to make it look a little more presentable. Putting on her pants presented the most difficulty, as it hurt to bend down. She settled on sitting down on the floor and pulling them up her legs that way. 

A thin layer of fog drifted over the floor and Billie sat there for a second just waving her hand through it, making the particles swirl around in the air. It reminded her of the fog that fell over the landscape in the mornings after a rain. She looked around the room she was in, which she assumed was some sort of doctor’s office. There was the large table she had woken up on standing in the middle of the room. There were metal counters around the walls of the room, themselves also made out of a smooth metallic substance. Billie had never seen a room made entirely out of metal before and was momentarily entranced, staring at her warped reflection in one of the walls. She could tell that her hair was a poofy mess, but she didn’t think she would be able to rebraid it by herself right now, so she used her fingers to brush back some of the most unruly pieces. That would have to do. 

With a grunt, she pulled herself back to her feet, using one of the counters to stabilize herself. She debated putting on the rest of her clothes, but she wanted to explore the place she was in more. And to find Tarei’hsan. She assumed he had been the one to bring her here and heal her and she wanted to ask him questions about, well, everything. 

She strode towards the doorway, the mist around her bare feet parting as she walked. Putting her hand up to push on the door, she jumped back as it immediately slid open when she got near. She peered out of the doorway, looking for the person who had opened it from the other side, but found no one. There was only an empty hallway, lined with glowing red symbols that bathed it in a low light, which contrasted to the brighter lighting of the room she came from. She stepped forward and listened for any sounds that would clue her in on which direction to go, but it was silent save for a quiet hum coming from all around her. With a sigh, she randomly decided to take a right, hoping Tarei’hsan would be okay with her wandering his- whatever this was. 

Billie strode slowly through the hallway, feeling her clothes stick to her skin as she walked, thankful her shirt no longer had sleeves. It was warm here, hot even, which she normally wouldn’t have minded except it was also humid as anything. She much preferred the dry heat of the desert. 

She passed a few other closed doorways, the seems demarcating them barely visible against the rest of the dark metal walls of the hallway. Was everything here made of metal? To her left was an open doorway leading into a large padded room. The wall opposite the doorway was lined with what seemed to her to be every weapon in existence, some she had seen before and some she couldn’t even imagine the purpose of. She wanted to inspect them more closely, but decided to wait. She didn’t know if Tarei’hsan would appreciate her snooping around. Maybe he would give her a tour of the place later. 

The hallway ended and she found herself standing in a large open space. The front of it was lined with colorful glowing lights that blinked on and off. Over the buttons was what seemed like a large black window, only a part of it was lit up with a star map of some kind. In front of the glowing buttons were what seemed like armchairs, only they were much larger than any she had ever seen - even the giant one back in her childhood home that her dad used to sit in after a long day’s work out in the fields. She always used to climb into his lap and demand her read her a bedtime story and he would oblige her despite his drooping eyelids. 

The chair in front of the star map swiveled around to face her, and she found herself face to face with Tarei’hsan. His mask was in one of his large, clawed hands and she could finally see what his face looked like. It was similar to the bad blood’s face, but she decided then that her yautja was much better looking. The set of his jaw was squarer and his lower mandibles had spiky protrusions at the bottom. His cheeks were decorated with dark brown lines that started from his eyes and disappeared into the black tendrils that grew from his prominent crest. He had similarly deep set eyes, a bright gold that shined like the midmorning sun. There were little quill-like protrusions lining his brow line, giving him the appearance of eyebrows. His forehead had the same diamond shaped patterns as his back, only much smaller and delicate looking. 

Billie was suddenly at a loss for words and simply settled with a casual, “Howdy!”

Tarei’hsan rattled something to her and she watched in fascination as his mandibles chattered against each other. In the back of her mind she had always wondered how he was able to make that distinctive woodpecker-like noise. 

“How-dee,” he replied to her in English and Billie couldn’t help but giggle, imagining him in a Stetson hat of his own. 

He raised his top mandibles in a gesture reminiscent of a smile before standing up and walking towards her, stopping when there was only a few feet between them. Was he always this tall? She stood at an above average 5’10’’, which tended to intimidate certain men, but Tarei’hsan was easily above 7 feet tall and she felt positively tiny next to him. 

“Billie is okay?” he asked her, taking her left arm into his large hands to examine the wound. She felt her face heat up slightly at the gentle gesture. He sure could be sweet when he wanted to.

“Yeah, my ribs still hurt some, but otherwise I’m feelin’ pretty good. How long was I out?” 

“Two cycles… days, as  _ oomans _ say.” She felt her eyes bug out of her head at the news. The cuts on her arm had been deep, there was now way they were almost completely healed in two days. He must have picked up on her surprised look because he added, “Yautja medicine much better than  _ ooman _ medicine.”

“Oh well then, thank you! For healin’ me and all.” 

“ _Sei-i_. Billie help me kill  _ ic’jit. _ ” He nodded his head as he spoke, as if it was only natural that he would have healed her as thanks for her help. If only everyone held themselves to the same standards. She could recall a few times where her so-called ‘partners’ had left her to deal with her injuries herself while they went on their merry way. Probably because they didn’t want to split the bounty with her. “Have something for the pain, if you need,” he told her. 

“I appreciate it, pardner, but honestly I’m hankerin’ for a stiff drink right about now. That’ll take the edge off. Wanna join me? We can celebrate our victory over some whiskey. I have a bottle I’ve been savin’ for a special occasion that we can crack open. It’s in Duchy’s saddlebags…” 

Billie paused when she remembered her horse. Was she okay?! “Wait, where’s Dutch? You took care of her right? Is she somewhere on this…” she trailed off, not sure what to call the building she was currently on. 

“Ship,” he told her, gesturing to their surroundings with one arm. “No. She is outside. Would not come back on ship. Used sugar to get her on first time, but ran out.” 

“Oh thank you for watching over her!” Billie couldn’t help herself and threw her arms around Tarei’hsan’s waist - though they didn’t reach around completely - ignoring the ache in her side as she squeezed him tightly. She could feel him stiffen at the contact, so she quickly broke the hug and stepped back with an awkward cough, hoping she didn’t offend him or something. “Um, can you take me to her? We haven’t been separated for more than a day before and I wanna make sure she’s okay.”

Tarei’hsan cocked his head and blinked at her, his long black tendrils falling over one shoulder as he did so. “ _Sei-i_.” 

He motioned for her to follow as he walked over to a set of large doors, these ones more recognizable than the others she had walked past. He pressed the wall a few times and the two doors swung open, filling the room with the orange light of sunset. Billie watched as a ramp automatically extended down from the doorway to the ground. 

She didn’t pause to stare in wonder at the moving ramp, instead rushing down it and letting out a long whistle as soon as her feet touched the dirt. The sound echoed across the landscape, which Billie recognized was not the old ghost town they had fought the bad blood in. There was nothing around but low trees and scrubby brush. No sooner had the echo of her whistle stopped did she hear the telltale clop of hooves. The Duchess emerged from behind a dead tree, her dark legs and underside speckled with dirt and mud. What had that little rascal been up too while she was recovering? Billie ignored that for the time being, running up to her and throwing her arms around her neck. 

“Did ya miss yer mama, girl?” she crooned into the horse’s neck. The Duchess responded by pressing her snout to the top of Billie’s head and snuffing into her hair, messing it up more than it already was. Billie just laughed and hugged her tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> Sei-i - Yes  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> *******  
> Seems like Billie is getting a little flustered around this handsome yautja now that she isn't preoccupied with hunting down the bad blood. ;)))))))


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our boy Tarei'hsan is deep in it now >:3c
> 
> As always, please let me know if you catch any typos/errors/etc. <3

Tarei’hsan watched from a distance as Billie reunited with her horse. There was obviously a very close bond between them, the horse being more to her than simply a means of transportation. Billie seemed to have a maternal attachment to the animal, viewing it as her own pup. Without a doubt, any offer to come with him would have to include a spot for The Duchess as well. 

If he were a yautja from another clan, this would have been a deal-breaker for him and he would have ended her life right then and there. But his clan was one of the few that chose to hunt with animal companions - both as mounts and as tracking aids. Many _sain’ja_ went on to specialize in the rearing in training of these animals, much like other clans had Spearmasters and other specialized ranks.

The  _ kwei’ctei _ was the mount favored by the clan’s hunters. It was a large feline-like creature that could move so stealthily that it put yautja to shame.  _ Kwei’ctei _ also had natural camouflage abilities, able to change their skin color to match their environment and to control their body heat to blend into the temperature of its surroundings if it needed to. His clan was the only one to have access to the animals, no other clans had hunting rights to the moon the species was native to. 

Tarei’hsan had first been introduced to the species when he was but an unblood. He had always enjoyed riding them during the hunt and had even owned one when he was a young hunter. But he had always had his eyes set on becoming an Arbitrator and he had chosen to give up his  _ kwei’ctei  _ so he could focus on that goal. 

Now that he was an Arbitrator, he was afforded a ship that was larger than most, but it did not have enough room to to keep The Duchess for long periods of time. Fortunately, the Arbitrator who was originally supposed to take this job had a large ship meant to house multiple  _ kwei’ctei _ . He had won in in a bet and was originally excited for the extra room it would afford him, but had quickly grown tired of the upkeep and maintenance that was required to maintain the larger vessel. More importantly, the other yautja owed Tarei’hsan quite a few favors. If Billie decided to join him, he did not think it would be difficult to convince his old friend to trade vessels. 

Tarei’hsan turned his attention back to Billie, who was currently chasing The Duchess around in an attempt to get back the head covering her horse had stolen from her. His upper mandibles quirked up slightly at the sight. Though they had only been together for a couple of cycles, he had grown very attached to this little  _ ooman _ . 

He thought back to her embrace in the ship and he wanted to hit himself for ruining it. He was caught off guard when she had suddenly wrapped her arms around his middle, instinctually tensing up at the contact. If a yautja female was to do this to him, it could only mean she was about to suplex him into the ground. Yautja females had very high standards for the males who wished to mate with them and would test them every which way. He hadn’t realized Billie meant him no harm until after she had swiftly pulled away, her eyes looking anywhere but his face. 

He was ripped out of his thoughts as Billie called to him, “Hey Tarei’hsan! Can ya help me get my hat back? Dutch is bein’ a little brat right now.” 

Not needing any more prompting, he quickly paced over towards the horse, who turned and trotted away from him, slow enough to make it clear the animal was playing with them both. He wanted to be angry at her attitude - a  _ kwei’ctei  _ as disobedient as this would be severely punished - but he had grown fond of it as well. He had never known an animal with such personality before. 

“Need to corner her,” he told Billie as The Duchess turned around to face them again, the hat still gripped securely between her teeth. 

“Yessir,” Billie responded. 

It took a few minutes, but eventually the two of them managed to trap the horse between the side of the ship and themselves. Seeing as the game was over, The Duchess allowed Billie to grab the hat from her mouth. 

“C’mere.” Billie motioned with her hand for him to get closer to her and he complied, bending down so that they were closer to eye level with one another. As soon as he did, she took the hat and placed it on the top of his crest. It was too small to actually fit over his head and Tarei’hsan felt absurd with it on, letting out a displeased rumble. 

Billie stepped back to look at him and giggled at the sight of him, the sound light and airy, causing his chest to fill with warmth. Ignoring the ridiculousness of the situation, he instead puffed up for her, squaring his shoulders and widening his stance to make himself look bigger and more imposing. Then he looped his thumbs into his belt and began walking in the way Billie had shown him before. ‘Strutting’ she had called it. It earned him another bout of laughter from her. When The Duchess trotted over and started sniffing around the pouches on his belt - no doubt searching for more sugar - it was enough to cause Billie to clutch her arms around herself as she doubled over with laughter. He let out a trill of his own, the sound halfway between a laugh and a purr. Maybe the hat wasn’t so bad after all. 

Normally he would have been offended if a female was laughing at him like this, but he had been looking for this sort of reaction. He enjoyed her laughter and her smiles, her compliments and her jokes. He wanted them. Wanted to be the reason for them, the focus of her attention. More than anything though, he wanted her to want him back. 

It was something he had long been refusing to acknowledge, thinking he would be filled with shame as soon as he admitted it to himself, but he found there was none. He could imagine what his fellow clan members would think of his interest in an  _ ooman _ . They were prey meant to be hunted, nothing more. But they had not seen her skill in battle, her bravery against an opponent much stronger than her. He recognized in her the building blocks of a hunter and with training he was sure she could become a formidable _sain'ja_. Anyone who couldn’t see that wasn’t worthy of her. 

It was also the reason why he was still hesitant to tell her of the choice between coming with him or being killed by him. He didn’t want her to choose to be with him because she was afraid of death, but because she enjoyed being with him as much as he enjoyed being with her. Asking her that outright would make himself vulnerable in a way he had never been before. Yes, he had been rejected by females in the past, but the idea of being rejected by Billie was different. If a female yautja rejected his advances, it was because he was not strong enough or because his trophy collection was not impressive enough. The courting process was straightforward and unambiguous. He knew nothing about the  _ ooman _ courting process. What traits did the females look for in males? 

Tarei’hsan had not felt this out of his element since he was a newly blooded warrior, now with the ability to mate with the clan’s females but with little knowledge of how to impress them. He knew that courting Billie properly would be a challenge, but he had never shied away from a challenge before. 

Billie had finally gotten control over herself, her cheeks flushed with heat as she wiped away a few droplets of water that had fallen from her eyes. Strange, he did not know the purpose of this water. But he resolved to find out. About that and everything else about her. 

She took a big breath before saying, “Oh, gosh. I haven’t laughed that hard in a while. We’ll have to get you a hat that fits that big ol’ head of yers. I’ll give you a few lessons in gunfighting and you’d make yerself quite the cowboy!” Tarei’hsan could feel himself perk up slightly at her offer for shooting lessons. He didn’t need them, of course, but it meant she wanted to spend more time with him. His biggest fear had been that she would wake up and ride off into the sunset on her own. 

“Now, I do believe I still owe you a drink!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> sain'ja - warrior  
> kwei’ctei - type of animal (literally means 'sly foot')
> 
> Cowboy Translations:  
> Yessir - Yes, sir  
> C'mere - come here
> 
> These are more just contractions than real western slang so I'm not sure how necessary these are but decided to put them in for non-English speakers)  
> ********  
> Tarei'hsan finally admitted his feelings for Billie, at least to himself (baby steps). This was a really fun chapter to write just because he was being all sappy and stuff. 
> 
> Thanks to Villainess for the adorable idea of Tarei'hsan strutting around with Billie's hat. It was so sweet to resist!
> 
> Also, I wanted to give credit to isei_bleeds on tumblr. Their [drawing](https://isei-bleeds.tumblr.com/post/617969946222280704/mounted-jungle-hunter) was what inspired Tarei'hsan's clan's culture surrounding the kwei’ctei ( ~~and also partially this fic as a whole~~ ) She has a lot of really awesome yautja art so go check her out if you're interested!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter can basically be summarized by Billie saying "I-it's not like I like you or anything, baka" over and over again. lol
> 
> If you spot any typos/errors/the like, please let me know!

With a click, Billie called The Duchess to her side and began digging through her saddlebags for the bottle of whiskey. She had won it off of some city slicker who challenged her to a shooting contest once he noticed she was packing. He apparently couldn’t fathom the notion that a woman could shoot as well as him. He had been yammering on and on about how his daddy bought him lessons under one of the best riflemen this side of the Mississippi. He had gone on to say that he’d buy her a top shelf bottle of whiskey from the bar if she won - something she would have never been able to afford in her wildest dreams, though he told her if she lost she’d have to sleep with him. Because he couldn't have been more of a cliché.

She’d taken him up on his bet and the saloon had gotten real rowdy, with people placing bets on one or the other. By the time they’d set up the bottles out in the back the odds seemed to favor the man, the townsfolks’ usual ridicule of city folk beaten by the disbelief a woman could beat a man, even one as pathetic as him. Billie had kept quiet as the bets piled up, getting her rifle ready as he riled up the crowd. There had been a coin toss to decide who went first, which he won. They had fifteen seconds to shoot down as many of the ten bottles that were lined up as they could. He managed to shoot down nine before time ran out. When she stepped up for her turn he had puckered his lips at her, saying he couldn’t wait to fuck her later. _Disgusting_. She had ignored him and had instead shot all ten bottles down with six seconds to spare. 

Billie didn’t know what had been better, his wide eyed stare after she was done or the way the crowd had gone wild. He had been true to his word, though, and bought her the big bottle of whiskey before slinking out of town with his tail between his legs. Billie hadn’t needed to open the bottle that night though, since more than a few people had offered her a round of drinks. The bottle had sat in The Duchess’s saddle bags since that night, waiting for the right moment to open it up. Nothing thus far had felt important enough for it, but if celebrating victory over an alien serial killer with another alien didn’t wasn’t enough she didn’t know what was. 

She finally found the bottle buried under all the other miscellaneous crap she owned. Before she was done, she grabbed the two tin cups she used to make coffee in the morning. She felt a whiskey as fine as this deserved something a little better, but it was all she had. 

When she turned around, Tarei’hsan was busy starting a small campfire for the both of them. It was only then that she realized how late it was. She had just woken up so she had assumed it was morning, but the sun was already beginning to dip below the horizon. When Tarei’hsan finished, he settled himself on the ground, his back against a fallen tree and his legs outstretched. Without giving herself time to second guess anything, she moved to sit down next to him. Was that too forward? Did she even want to be forward with him?? 

With a sheepish grin she handed him the tin cup. “Sorry, I don’t have anythin’ fancy to drink out of, so these will have to do.” Tarei’hsan cocked his head at her and regarded the cup he was holding. It looked comically small in his large hands. 

Before she could say anything else, he got to his feet in one fluid movement. “Wait here,” was all he told her before he sauntered back to his ship. 

Bille watched him go, admiring his form from behind as he walked. She liked the way his muscles rippled ever so slightly under his skin with each step. The way his long black tresses swung slightly with each movement. His back was so broad, and she could make out the now healed circular scar amongst the raised scales that ran down his spine. Her thoughts wandered back towards imagining how those scales would feel, running her hands along them before grabbing his ass-

 _Goddamnit!_ she thought angrily as she stook her unscrupulous thoughts away. What the hell was wrong with her? They were supposed to be partners and here she was making goo-goo eyes at him, getting tongue tied every time they were close. He must think she’s an idiot. She doubted someone like him was interested in that sort of relationship. He was always so business-like and focused on his mission. 

Was _she_ even interested in that sort of relationship with him?? He had taken care of her and Dutch when she was injured and recovering. He was intense as anything but seemed to have a soft side under the hard exterior, going out of his way to make her laugh. He had never treated her as lesser than just because she was a woman. Sure his face was… unusual, but he had the type of body other men would kill for. Billie found herself thinking how it would feel to have his giant arms wrapped around her, her face buried into his wide chest…

Okay, maybe she was interested in him in _that_ way, just the tiniest little bit. But she didn’t want to go do anything stupid and scare him off. More than anything she was enjoying the easy company he provided. She didn’t think she was lonely before now, she was a free spirit, a drifter tied to nobody. And she had Dutch. But now faced with the possibility of him leaving, flying off to Mars or wherever he was from, she didn’t want him to. Quashing down her maybe, possibly, sort-of-there feelings for Tarei’hsan, she resolved to ask him his plans moving forward. And to do what she could to convince him to stay with her, if only for a while longer. 

She was sitting there trying to think of a way to do so without coming across as some crazy broad looking to hogtie and brand him, eyes closed and head back, when she heard a grunt from above her. She snapped her eyes open and found Tarei’hsan crouching next to her, hand outstretched and offering her a nice glass. She took it with a smile and turned it around in her hands as he settled back down next to her. It was huge, certainly made for someone of his size, but she didn’t care. It was made out of some sort of glass or crystal that had a slight blue tinge to it, and was decorated with intricate etchings along the top. 

“Fancy cup” he told her matter-of-factly and Billie flashed him a dopey smile. How was he so sweet?! She felt like her heart was going to explode. She wasn’t used to men being sweet with her. The men around here were rough around the edges and the nicest thing they would say to her was along the lines of ‘Nice ass.’ 

She realized she was still smiling at him and quickly uncorked the bottle with her teeth before she could make an even bigger fool of herself. She poured a healthy serving into his glass before filling her own. 

She reined in her nervousness enough to declare, “A toast, to a well earned victory! And to new partners!” before she clinked her glass against his. Then she tipped her head back and drank deeply, the whiskey going down smoothly, giving her a warm feeling and dulling the pain in her body without the burning sensation she was used to. It certainly was good whiskey. 

She heard Tarei’hsan murmur “Partners” back to her before he spread his mandibles and took a drink of his own. Billie watched out of the side of her eye, curious as to how exactly he would go about drinking but not wanting to stare. Tarei’hsan caught her gaze and turned to look at her, his eyes glowing intensely. 

“How do ya like it?” She asked him. She could already feel the buzz of the alcohol setting in, due in no small part to her empty stomach. She made a mental note to find something to eat later. Now she just wanted to get drunk and celebrate with her alien partner/maybe possibly crush. 

He paused a moment to consider the taste of the drink before he decided on “Not strong enough.” 

Billie couldn’t help but guffaw at that. This was straight whiskey! She told him as much and he let out a low chuckle, the sound of it reverberating in her chest. “ _C’ntlip_ is much stronger. Will have to show you after another victory.”

Seeing her opportunity, Billie lept on it. “You certainly will! So does that mean you’re plannin’ to stick around? Or do you have to go back to…” She paused for a moment, racking the recesses of her brain to remember a planet farther than Mars. She knew her school teacher had taught them some stupid song to memorize the planets. She had to recite it a few times in her head, counting on her fingers as she did before she came up with “Jupiter!” 

She turned to look expectantly at him and he responded with another rumbling laugh. “Farther.” 

“Well that’s the farthest planet I know! Where are you from, then?” 

“Planet is called Yautja Prime. Was born there but live on clanship.” She was about to ask what a clanship was when he cut her off. “Clanship is like my ship,” he motioned to his strange metal vehicle, “but much bigger. Big enough for thousands of yautja.” 

“So yer tellin’ me there is some big ol’ hunk of metal big enough to hold thousands of yer kind just floatin’ up there.” She pointed up to the sky, the stars just beginning to appear against the purple twilight, and he nodded. “I’m not drunk enough for this,” was all she told him before she took another big swig of whiskey. 

He rattled a little bit, and Billie decided his mandibles really weren’t that bad after all. They moved and twitched in a way that was almost… cute, though she couldn’t say if she thought that only because she had feelings for him. 

“Not need to go back soon. Can stay with Billie… if she want.” 

“Well we’re partners, ain’t we? Of course you can stay! We got some scallywags to catch. They ain’t as tough as your bad blood, but they still gotta be dealt with. ‘Sides, I gotta teach ya how to use a six shooter,” she teased, not wanting to come across as desperate for him to stay as she felt.

*******

Tarei’hsan felt his shoulders relax slightly. Billie didn’t want to go her separate way, instead she wanted to hunt _ooman ic’jit_ with him. He could work with that. Tarei’hsan was patient, he would use their time together to court her properly. Well, find out how to court her properly first and then do it. She was more than worth the effort. 

“Will stay and hunt _oomans_ with you,” he declared, before moving to clink his glass with hers like she had done early. That earned him a laugh and they both took another drink. The alcohol was weaker than he was used to but it did the job enough for him to enjoy it. Besides, this was something special to Billie and he was happy she wanted to share it with him. 

“Ya know, I won this bottle in a shooting contest. How ‘bout we have a little contest of our own?” He nodded and let out a purr at her words. She was challenging him, looking for him to prove himself as a worthy male. 

She got to her feet with a whoop that echoed across the empty landscape, wobbling a bit as she found her balance. He had a feeling his _ooman_ was drunk, but found it endearing more than anything. What would she be like after drinking _c’ntlip_ like he had promised her. He would have to make sure to water it down a little. 

She explained to him the rules, that they would take turns throwing an object for the other to hit. The first one to miss lost. She told him the game was normally played with bottles, but as there were none around, they decided to use chunks of wood from one of the fallen branches nearby. 

The two of them matched each other shot for shot, and Tarei’hsan found himself impressed once again with her aim. It was dark and she was drunk but she still proved to be a worthy opponent. It was in the seventh round that Billie’s shot missed the mark, grazing past the piece of wood but not hitting it. 

“Good game!” she begrudgingly told him with a bump of her hip into his thigh. Tarei’hsan responded to her goading with a bump of his own. Billie followed up with an elbow into his side and he went to do the same, but she dodged under it with a laugh, bounding away from him on wobbly legs. He was spurred on by the chase, crouching low and stalking after her. He did not use his full abilities since she was inebriated and still injured. He captured her a few times but allowed her to easily break free. 

Their game continued like that for a little while, sometimes him chasing her and others her chasing him. Whenever she would catch him she would shout ‘tag’ and he had taken to doing the same. They spent quite some time doing that and Tarei’hsan probably should have felt foolish, running around drunkenly after a female like it was his first mating season, but he didn’t. He simply allowed himself to enjoy himself. 

Eventually she tired herself out and plopped back down near the fire. He came to join her, crossing his legs so that their knees brushed one another. Billie didn’t move away, instead turning to him and asking, “Hey, do ya mind if I play a song? I like playing music by the campfire.” Her words were slightly slurred and he only caught half of what she was saying, but he nodded anyway. 

She clicked to get her horse's attention. “Duchy. C’mere. Mama needs something but she’s too tired to move.” Surprisingly, her horse trotted over and laid down next to her. Billie dug around the bags before pulling a small silver rectangle. She settled back down with her head resting on the horse’s flank and her body turned towards him before she held it out to him. He took it in his hands and inspected it, finding it had little groves on each of the long ends. 

When he handed it back to her she told him, “It’s a harmonica. Normally I like to play guitar but those are too big to keep on Dutch. So I got me one of these instead.” 

She poured a little more into her glass before handing him the bottle of whiskey, which was only a third full by that point. “Winner of the contest gets the rest.” She told him with a smile as she drank half of her glass. 

She placed the instrument to her lips and played a few notes to warm up, pausing to finish the rest of her drink. Then she began to play a melody, the brassy notes of the instrument carrying along on the slight breeze. After each melody, she would sing a verse, her voice low but the notes clear and pleasing to him. He closed his eyes and listened as she went back and forth between the instrument and her voice…

_In the shadow of the valley_

_I would like to settle down_

_Wide open space_

_Wind on my face_

_A distant horizon_

_The moon on the crest_

_In the shadow of the valley_

_That I love best_

_You have always waited for me_

_And you always will be there_

_Sage brush and pine_

_Old friends of mine_

_A little bit further_

_I will find my rest_

_In the shadow of the valley_

_That I love best_

_I have wandered many places_

_But they're all the same to me_

_Nowhere I've found_

_To settle down_

_A little bit further_

_I'll find my rest_

_In the shadow of the valley_

_That I love best_

_In the shadow of the valley_

_That I love best_

[♫♪♬♩ (link)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyQNvgVJyRM)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> c’ntlip - alcoholic beverage  
> Cowboy Translations:  
> city slicker - a person from the city (derogatory)  
> hogtie and brand him - marry him  
> ******
> 
> Billie: He's always so business-like and focused on the mission.  
> Tarei'hsan: *literally gets distracted from his mission for days because he likes her so much*
> 
> Also just so everyone knows Tarei'hsan got that cake... his cheeks be clapping 24/7, no doubt about it 😈
> 
> Sorry to tease you guys with the possibility of them hooking up. (Or am I?) You'll have to wait a little longer for that. To be fair this fic is tagged with 'slow burn' AND 'mutual pining', so what did you expect? In all seriousness though, I wanted their relationship to feel organic. It's a lot to ask someone to come with you into space after knowing them for literally 3 full days. 
> 
> Also, the song Billie is singing is called "In the Shadow of the Valley", which is where the name of this fic came from. It's one if my favorite western/cowboy-esque songs! 🤠 I hope you enjoy it and forgive me for committing the biggest fanfic cliché of all time <3


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My original plan was to have a bunch of short vignettes of Billie and Tarei'hsan's time together, but this first one got much longer than planned so I decided to post it as it's own chapter. 
> 
> If you spot any errors/typos/etc, please let me know!

The small bell above the door chimed quietly as Billie stepped into the general store, the old floorboards creaking under her boots. It was early morning, the sky still streaked with ribbons of red and orange, and there were no other customers inside. Just like Billie had hoped. 

The morning after their drunken celebration, Billie had woken up raring to go. Or well she had woken up still drunk and the alcohol lingering in her system kept her from feeling the full extent of her body's injuries. But it caught up to her quickly and an accidental stumble had caused some of her stitches to break open. Tarei’hsan had fretted over her as he patched up her reopened wound, something which normally would have bothered her but with him it was endearing. Two days of him hovering over her, refusing to let her do anything should she hurt herself again had caused her to snap at him. She informed him none to kindly she wasn’t some porcelain doll that needed protecting and he had backed off, hanging his head like a kicked puppy. After that she had convinced him to let her go back to Silver Springs so she could replace her ruined clothes and stock up on some supplies. 

She had decided it was safest to go at the crack of dawn, when she would be least likely to run into anybody. After Sheriff Ashmore’s threat she didn’t know what kind of reception would be waiting for her back in town and she wanted to play it safe. 

At the ring of the bell, the clerk’s head snapped up. Ethel Cassidy peered up at her through her wirey glasses and a smile of recognition passed over her wrinkled face. 

“Mornin’ Miss. Mayfield. Didn’t think I’d see yer face ‘round here again.”

“Hmmm. Good to see you too, Ethel.” Billie responded, her guard still up. 

“You look like you been through Hell and back, girl.” She motioned to the stained, bloody remains of Billie’s clothes. “ I was prayin’ for you every night as soon as I heard you’d gone after Stan Parson’s killer. Didn’t want to hear you were found strung up like the rest of ‘em.” 

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty damn hard to kill.” Billie told her smugly. Ethel laughed loudly, the sound bouncing around the empty store. When she was done she turned back to Billie with a serious look on her face. 

“So it’s done then? He’s dead?” 

“Dead as dead can be. I made sure of it.” Well Tarei’hsan had made sure of it, she had just passed out from blood loss. But the old woman didn’t need to know that. 

“Good. Well whatever you need, it’s on the house.” When Billie opened her mouth to protest, Ethel shot her a look before continuing, “I won’t hear none of that, it’s the least I can do to repay you for all you’ve done.” 

Not wanting to take advantage of the woman’s kindness, Billie only stocked up on the essentials. A new shirt, duster, and pants, a whole mess of sugar cubes for The Duchess, some more booze, and some ammunition. That didn’t keep Ethel from throwing in a bunch of other random items she thought Billie could use. By the end of it she had two more spare outfits and more canned goods than she knew what to do with. 

Billie was about to make her way towards the door for the third time when Ethel stopped her once more. “Oh, I just remembered. We got a new shipment of dresses last night. A pretty girl like you needs a pretty dress!” 

Knowing there was no stopping the woman once she got an idea in her head, Billie stood there as Ethel rifled through a rack of dresses, every so often holding one up to see how Billie would look in it. She wasn’t particularly opposed to dresses - except for the super frilly ones her mother forced her into for church - they were just wildly impractical for the kind of work she did, though she had to admit some of the garments Ethel held up were pretty. Absentmindedly, she wondered what Tarei’hsan would think if he saw her in a dress. Would he like it or would he chide her for wearing something that would hinder her ability in battle. Billie was leaning towards the latter. 

She snapped back to reality and she felt her cheeks redden when she realized the silly path her mind had wandered down. She heard Ethel’s chuckle from behind one of the racks. 

“Hmm. Who’re you thinkin’ about right now, missy? You finally found yerself a man? Best not be that fool Ashmore. I’ll have to beat some sense into ya if it is!” 

“Wha- I wasn't...” Billie sputtered, her face reddening even more. 

“I saw that dreamy look in yer eyes, girl, don’t lie to me. Miss Willow Mayfield is in love... Ahh, I remember being in love! Enjoy it ‘fore you both get old and start driving each other crazy!” 

Was this woman a mind reader? Because there was no way she was standing here with lovey-dovey eyes like some schoolgirl with a crush! No siree! 

“Haha, I’m just joshin’ you girlie! But if you’re keepin’ some grand romantic tale of how you fell in love with some handsome, mysterious stranger from this lonely old lady, I’m takin’ this stuff back!” Ethel said with another hearty laugh as she patted the pile that had accumulated on the counter.  _ Gosh, I’m really gonna miss her _ , Billie thought as her stern expression cracked and she broke out of giggles of her own. 

“Well tellin’ you ‘bout him would ruin the whole ‘mysterious’ part… but he’s very tall. And a gentleman. I think you would approve.” Billie added teasingly. 

“Then it sure ain’t Ashmore!” 

“Frankly, I’m hurt you’d even think I’d stoop that low!” Billie said, feigning offense before the two of them burst into a fit of laughter. Between her night with Tarei’hsan and now, Billie couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed this much. It felt good. 

After getting a hold of themselves, Ethel moved to wrap up all of the items. Billie caught her shoving a blue dress in with the rest of her clothes, but said nothing to stop her. After they were done, Ethel helped Billie bring all the stuff outside, feeding The Dutchess and oatcake as Billie secured the items to her horse. 

“You take care now, girlie, ya hear?” Ethel told her once she was done. 

“You too. And give my regards to yer husband. You two have been mighty kind to me.” Billie said as she got up into the saddle. 

“Pshaw! Think nothin’ of it!” 

Billie smiled and tipped her hat before peeling out of the town, hoping Ethel wouldn’t be too mad about the money she had left on the counter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The return of a character from way back in chapter 4! Haha, I just love kooky old ladies. Can't wait to be one some day!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is more a bunch of short little snippets that I didn't think really warranted their own chapters (unless I wanted to kill you guys and myself with the slow burn). They take place in roughly chronological order, btw. 
> 
> If you spot any errors/typos/etc, please let me know!

“So yer tellin’ me this hunk of metal can fly? Like a bird?” Billie asked, a dubious look written on her expressive _ooman_ face. Tarei’hsan let her comment about his ship slide. Her doubt about the abilities of his ship was understandable. After all, her species had not even achieved aviation, let alone spaceflight. 

“ _Sei-i_.” Came his simple reply as he punched in the coordinates for their new destination. They were headed northwest to another, more mountainous part of the large desert that made up this part of the planet. 

“How?” She asked, from over his shoulder as she watched him work. He turned to look at her, trying and failing to find the right _ooman_ words to explain to her the physics behind flight. Instead, he simply told her, “Yautja technology very advanced.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that before.” She grumbled with a roll of her eyes, a gesture he had found meant the same thing to _oomans_ as it did yautja. Tarei’hsan let out a low chuckle at her attitude. In the past few days, he had discovered that his little _ooman_ had quite the temper and was not at all scared to disagree with him or give him attitude. He liked it. 

“Look” he told her as he pressed another button, causing the panel in front of them to turn translucent, revealing the familiar landscape around them. His upper mandibles quirked up at her amazed gasp. 

Once everything was ready, he took the controls and manually began piloting the ship off the ground. He could have simply engaged the autopilot, but he found himself wanting to show off for her. She was impressed easily by things that no other yautja would even blink about. He remembered fondly the look of wonder on her face when he showed her the large bathing pool. 

As the ground began to recede farther and farther, he felt Billie’s small hand wrap around his upper arm and squeeze, her blunt nails digging into his skin. He could feel her hands shaking slightly. 

“We’re really high up.” She finally managed to squeak. He could tell she was scared and began purring to calm her. The ship passed through a patch of mild turbulence, causing the floor to rock slightly. Billie pressed her face to his shoulder and squeezed harder. 

He had wanted to take them up higher to show her the view, but decided against it. Instead he relished in the fact she clung to him for comfort, his purr racking up a notch. 

Eventually, he set the ship down in their new location and heard Billie let out a sigh of relief as she peeled herself away from him. He punched in the command to open the doors, and watched as she hurried outside, not even waiting for the ramp to fully extend before she lept down to the ground, her horse hot on her heels. 

********

Tarei’hsan stirred as he heard soft footfalls heading out of the campsite. Billie often rose early and snuck off to go hunting for breakfast. Her attempts at stealth were for his benefit, something he had learned after the first time it happened. She had been quite upset once she learned she had woken him and ever since he pretended to sleep to keep her happy. 

The reason for her early morning ventures had been a surprise to him. Apparently, she had taken it upon herself to go hunting for food every other morning. Which was not surprising in itself, but she hunted for both herself and for him. The notion that a female would hunt to feed him was completely unheard of. A male that could not even hunt to feed himself was not worth even a passing glance to a female yautja. 

But Billie was not a female yautja. It was something he had to constantly remind himself. When she had first brought the game back and offered it to him, he had been slightly offended. Did she not think he was a capable male? But she had explained to him that she was doing it because she was ‘being a good partner’ and ‘holding her own weight’. Though it was unusual, Tarei’hsan had relented and even though he didn’t need to eat as often as _oomans_ did, he always ate whatever Billie brought back for him. Who was he to refuse the gifts of a female?

The planet’s yellow star had not yet risen over the horizon and the air around him was chilled. He hoped she would return soon. They had both taken to sleeping outside since she did not want to leave her horse alone and he did not want to leave her alone. Nothing would happen to her on his watch. He found he quite liked this arrangement, enjoying keeping guard while she slumbered beside him. Every so often her head would lull and she would settle against him, resting her head on his arm. 

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of her return. She went over and deposited her kills near the fire and he heard a clang as her boot hit some metal. He had to suppress his laugh when he heard her curse under her breath. 

She quietly stepped back towards him and he waited in anticipation for the feel of her warm body settling close to his. Instead her footsteps stopped right next to him and he heard her take a sharp intake of breath. He waited a moment, but when nothing happened he cracked one eye open. Billie was standing above him, her firearm drawn and pointed right at his face. 

He let out a growl of warning, but she silently moved a finger to her lips and whispered “Don’t move.” 

He stayed still, wearily eyeing the weapon she held as she aimed it slightly to his left. She fired the weapon and in the blink of an eye he was on his feet, grabbing and twisting her arm behind her, forcing her to drop the weapon. 

“Ow. Tarei’hsan stop! There was a rattler right next to you!” She hissed from between clenched teeth. Blinking, he released her arm and cocked his head. 

“Rattler?” He asked. She pointed to a place next to where his head had just been, and sure enough there was a reptile laying dead in a small pool of its own blood, it’s long body curling in on itself. It must have crept near him, undetected, as he was lost in his thoughts. 

Billie rubbed her arm where he had gripped her. “I’m sorry for scarin’ you like that. Didn’t mean for such a rude awakenin’. Diamondbacks are real venomous, tons a’ people die out here from their bites.” 

Though he doubted the creature was a threat to him - his hide was thick and there was little chance the creature’s fangs could pierce through it - he understood the sentiment behind her actions. She was protecting him. 

“Billie is hurt?” he asked, his claws brushing along her arm, checking for damage. 

“Naw, you just surprised me is all.” She said as she knelt down to grab the creature. 

“Ya know, this is the snake I was tellin’ you about when we first met. The one that looks like you.” She paused at his huff and looked back at him. “See! It’s the same colors as you! And it has diamond markings just like yours. If we find a few more a’ these fellers I could make myself a belt and we’d be matchin’.” There was a playful smile quirking up one side of her lips. 

“I do not see the similarities.”

“Listen, his rattle sounds just like yours.” She shook the end of the animal’s tail, causing it to make a noise. “Can’t ya hear? He’s saying, ‘you and me are practically cousins, Tarei’hsan’.” 

Tarei’hsan simply shook his head at her antics as she burst into a fit of giggles. 

*******

“I’m headin’ into town to talk to the sheriff. You stay here and take care of Dutch.” Billie said as she handed Tarei’hsan her horse’s reins. She turned to The Duchess and turned her nose so they were looking eye to eye. “You be a good girl for Tarei’hsan now, Dutchy.” 

The Duchess snorted, letting her know she would do no such thing. Tarei’hsan’s masked face turned to look at the unruly horse, before he let out a snort of his own. “You better behave too, darlin’,” she told him. As soon as the word left her mouth she regretted saying it and she felt her face heat up. What had possessed her to say that to him? If Tarei’hsan noticed anything, he made no comment. Billie quickly spun on her heel and rushed away from him, wanting to throw herself off the nearest cliff in her embarrassment. 

Things between the two of them had been good up until now. He had even started to explain some of his culture’s customs to her and shared his hunting stories with her. They were absolutely fascinating, and Billie watched the flames of the campfire dance across his face with rapt attention as he regaled her. One night she had told him she wished she had stories half as interesting as his, and he informed her he would bring her on hunts all across the galaxy, should she wish it. The offer had surprised her, and she had told him she had to think about it. He had simply nodded, as if he hadn’t just made such a grandiose offer, and began purring for her. It was a relaxing sound she had come to like, just like she had come to like his face. Others might have seen it as frightening, but the nightmarish mandibles and brilliantly glowing eyes were now a source of comfort for her. And now she was here messing everything up. 

As she crossed the town's limits, she thought about how much harder it had become to hide her growing feelings for him. Her earlier slip of the tongue had not been the first time. She had almost died of embarrassment when she woke up one morning with her head resting on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his to snuggle closer. He had told her he didn’t mind it, putting his large hand on the top of her head and patting gently, which has only made her blush more. Even recalling the memory made her cheeks rosy, and she ended up pausing by a rain barrel, splashing some cool water on her face to get a hold of herself. 

She shook her head vigorously and slapped her cheeks to focus herself. She wasn’t here to be fawning over her partner, she was here to find them some work. Squaring her shoulders, she walked up to the double doors of the sheriff’s station and pushed past them. 

******

By the time Billie returned to where she had left Tarei’hsan and The Dutchess, the sun was low in the sky. Her trip into town had taken a lot longer than anticipated and it left her in a foul mood. Most of the time was spent convincing the sheriff and his deputy that she was even capable of doing the work. They had been skeptical, but after they realized she wouldn’t leave until they gave her something, they had handed her the bounty of some local thieves who had apparently made off with some dynamite. A real small time job. 

She found Tarei’hsan standing next to The Duchess, using one of the brushes from the saddlebags to groom her like Billie had shown him before. As soon as she neared them, he turned towards her, the bands in his tresses clinking together. 

“Howdy, Billie.” His pronunciation had gotten a lot better in the time they spent together. 

Despite her foul mood, she laughed. “ _Gkaun-yte_ ” she greeted him, her pronunciation still a bit stilted. He had started teaching her some of his language, and had been a patient teacher despite how bad of a student she was. “I see you and Dutch are gettin’ along,” she told him with a smile. 

“We have reached a truce.” He informed her, still running the brush along her dark coat. 

“Oh really?” Billie raised an eyebrow at them both. They both made eye contact before snorting in some sort of unspoken exchange. She laughed again. These two. 

“What will be our next hunt?” he asked, and Billie’s face darkened. 

“Don’t get too excited now. The bastards in the sheriff's office didn’t think a lady could handle anything other than some petty burglars.” She huffed as she held up the bounty for him to see. 

“They are fools if they think this. A female yautja would have thrown them across the room for such disrespect. Billie should have done the same.” He told her as he brushed a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. She felt her ears heat up at the intimate gesture. 

‘Trust me, I was considering it…” She mumbled. “So, do you even want to take this job? Or do you want to move on to see if we can find something better?” 

“ _Sei-i._ ” 

“Okay then, I guess we’ll set out tomorrow. The sun’s getting low.” She moved to turn and start the trek back to their campsite, but he grabbed her arm before she made it far. 

“Billie.” He all but purred. “I have gift for you.” He turned and pulled something out of one of The Duchess’s saddlebags before holding it out to her. It was a snakeskin belt, decorated with the distinct markings of a diamond back. It was incredibly well made, the scales practically gleaming. “We will match,” he stated simply. 

Billie felt like her heart was about to explode at the sweet gesture, and without thinking she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his middle in a huge hug, knocking her hat off as she crushed herself to him. This time he didn’t tense, instead wrapping his arms around her and pressing his mandibles into her hair. They stayed like that for a while, holding each other, Billie breathing in his scent. She let the smell of woodsmoke and earth relax her and she could feel all of her tension, her anger, her self-doubt, her fear of disappointing him, all slip away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja translations:  
> Sei-i - Yes  
> Gkaun-yte - Hello
> 
> *******  
> Y'all, that last chapter had me like 🥺🥺🥺🥺
> 
> This chapter was mostly just little ideas that have been floating around in my head for a while. I'd love if you'd tell me which part was your fave <3 (I think you already know mine)


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another chapter for y'all! I'm cranking through this in hopes that I can gift you guys the good stuff (TM) for my birthday on the 10th. *wink wink*
> 
> As always, if you spot any typos/errors/etc, please let me know!

“What is dy-no-myte?” Tarei’hsan asked. The two of them were perched on a outcropping of rock, looking down into the valley below from high above. Billie had a device she called ‘binoculars’ in her hands, using them to look down at their prey. 

“It’s an explosive. They use it in minin’ to blow through the rock. Not sure what they’re doin’ with it in the middle of nowhere, though.”

“We should go down there and end these bad bloods.” He rumbled impatiently. He had already used his biomask to zoom in on the four _ooman_ males who were methodically taking out red cylindrical objects from large crates. 

“Didn’t you just tell me on the way here that patience was one of the hunter’s greatest virtues?” He had, in an attempt to begin her training as a _sain'ja_. 

He only huffed in response, which earned him a laugh. “We have to figure out what they’re plan is before we run in there, guns blazin’.”

“They are unloading the dy-no-myte and placing it on the metal rails on the ground.”

******

“What metal rails? I don’t see any?” Billie asked, her head whipping around to look at him. 

He pulled up his wrist gauntlet and pressed a few buttons to show her what he had been able to see. Sure enough, there were railroad tracks just barely visible at the bottom edge of the projection. Being much taller than her, he had been able to make out more of what was happening down below. 

“Shit.” She cursed. She was new to the area and had no idea there were railroad tracks in this valley. As if one cue, she heard the sound of a horn a short distance away. Craning her neck she saw as a train emerged from around a bend, the smoke billowing from the front mixing into the fog that had settled in the valley when the rain started. 

“Shit shit shit.  _ C’jit _ _! _ ” She added the yautja curse at the end just in case her meaning hadn’t yet gotten across. 

“What is wrong, Billie?” He tilted his head at her as she brushed past him. 

She was already beginning to make her way down to the valley before she answered him. “They’re gonna use the dynamite to stop the train. Probably to rob it. Looks like it belongs to some moneybags or somethin’.” The loose rocks under her feet slid out from under her, causing her to lose her footing. She almost fell flat on her ass when she felt Tarei’hsan’s arm come to her shoulder to steady her. “Usually these things carry a lot of expensive goods on ‘em. But there could also be a bunch of passengers.” 

Looking down, she could see the train was already halfway to where the trap had been set. “There’s no way we’ll make it in time.” 

She felt Tarei’hsan’s arms tighten around her waist and she was about to ask what he was doing when he threw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Holding her legs snuggly, she watched as he took a running start before leaping down the cliff face. It took everything in her to keep her scream from bubbling out as she felt her stomach drop. She pressed her face to his back as he leapt again and again, making it down to the valley much quicker than she ever thought possible. 

He set her down on the grass and held her shoulder for a moment while she found her balance, her legs feeling like jelly. 

“You should activate your cloaking. We don’t want anyone to see you.” She told him as she pulled away and started running towards the four men. He nodded and she heard the now-familiar crackle of him activating his cloak. The grass was slippery under her boots and she felt Tarei’hsan’s invisible hand on her back every so often to keep her pushing forward. 

The four men had taken cover behind a large boulder. Three of them were hunched over in preparation for the blast while another was standing over the lever that would detonate the explosives. Billie had pulled her revolver out from it’s holster but didn’t get a shot off before she heard the whiz of metal fly past her. Whatever Tarei’hsan had thrown struck true, slicing into the man’s neck and decapitating him where he stood. 

The man’s three companions screamed in horror at the bloody sight, heads whipping their way, though they only were able to see Billie. Two of them started to scrabble away from their hiding place, while the third regained his composure enough to reach down and press the lever down. Billie watched in horror as the long wick started to burn, travelling towards the tracks much faster than she could have imagined. 

The one good thing in this otherwise awful situation was that in his haste, the man had set the charge a bit too early. The blast detonated a few meters in front of the train instead of right underneath it. Billie threw herself to the ground and felt as Tarei’hsan wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to protect her from some of the explosion. The high pitched squealing of twisting metal mixed together with the ringing in her ears as she waited there, the front of her shirt soaking through from the wet grass. She could hear the sporadic crackling of Tarei’hsan’s cloak. It tended to not work as well in the water. It was still holding up now seeing as it was only drizzling, but she didn’t know how long it would last. 

When she peered up, she saw that by some miracle the train had not been completely destroyed like she had thought. It hadn’t even been derailed as far as she could tell. The three men scrambled up towards one of the doors which had been blown off its hinges in the blast. 

Billie threw herself to her feet and raced after them, Tarei’hsan hot on her heels. When she heaved herself up the step and into the train proper, she saw that the men had split up, two heading towards the front and the other towards the back. 

“Can you go deal with those two?” She pointed towards the front of the train and he grunted an affirmative. “I’ll handle this other guy.”

******

Tarei’hsan crept quickly towards the front of the train, not worrying too much about being stealthy as his semi-malfunctioning cloak would give him away. He didn’t need it though, he would deal with these  _ kha'bj-te _ _ oomans _ quickly. 

Stalking into the front compartment of the train, he found it partially torn open from the blast. The scent of  _ ooman  _ _ thwe _ i was strong in the air and he quickly located its source, the bottom half of an _ooman_ man that had been in the compartment when the blast happened. When Billie had told him of this job she had said the bad bloods they were hunting were not much older than juveniles, so he was surprised at the level of gore that awaited him here. 

The two  _ oomans _ were bickering with each other, yanking backwards on a large metal pole that was set in the ground. As it was pulled back, the entire train shuttered and Tarei’hsan hissed at the squealing sound of metal. The train was moving again, slowly picking up speed as it went. 

The two men clapped each other on the back and turned around, only to find Tarei’hsan’s silhouette crackling with electricity in the doorway. The shorter of the two was quicker at the draw, pulling a weapon from his belt before his companion could react at all. It mattered little though, as Tarei’hsan had already extended his  _ dah'kte _ and was running them through the man’s torso before he even knew what happened. He sputtered back a few steps clutching his chest as  _ thwei _ poured from the gashes. He was already dead, he just didn’t know it yet. 

The dead man’s companion let out a scream of terror as he saw what his fate was. Tarei’hsan lunged and the  _ ooman _ kicked out his leg in a futile effort to protect himself. The man’s head was cut from the rest of his body as the limb flailed, only it wasn’t aiming for Tarei’hsan, it was aiming for the metal bar. The metal snapped at the impact and the train started to accelerate even more. 

_ Pauk. _ This wasn’t going to be an easy fix. 

*****

Billie rushed after her quarry, stepping over the broken glass of the blown out windows as she went. Some of the glass was stained red and she could see the bodies of passengers hunched in their seats or prone on the ground. She hoped they were simply unconscious. She was debating continuing after the man or stopping to help the injured when the sound of a small sniffle to her left made the choice for her. 

There was a little boy bent over the body of a woman lying awkwardly on the ground between two seats. The boy's face was streaked with tears and snot but he seemed otherwise unharmed; though Billie could make out dark blood matting the woman’s blonde hair and dripping down her face. 

She holstered her weapon and crouched down to make herself not threatening, almost falling on her face as the train lurched forward with a terrible shriek of metal grinding on metal. Damn, why was the train moving? She trusted the Tarei’hsan would deal with it and faced the boy again. 

“Hey there, little man. Don’t be scared, I’m here to help.” She held out a hand to him. The boy just drew in another gasping sob. “Is this yer mama?”

The boy nodded before hiccupping, “S-she’s not movin’, miss.” A fat tear rolled down his cheek. 

“Shh. It’s okay. Let me check on her.” Billie moved closer and gently pressed her fingers to the woman’s throat, feeling for a pulse. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt a weak but steady thrum. 

She gently tugged the woman’s shawl free from her shoulders before pressing it to the woman’s injured head. “What’s yer name, boy?” 

“Billy.” 

“Heh, mine too. Now Billy, I need to go and take care of one of the men who caused this. I need you to keep pressure on the wound.” She took his hands, still chubby like a toddler’s, and showed him how hard to press. “Don’t do it too hard now, just enough to stop the bleedin’. Can you do that for me?” Billy nodded and she carefully got to her feet, ruffling his curly blonde hair before she continued forward. 

She passed through more cars filled with passengers slowly shaking themselves off and getting to their feet. She told them about the boy and his mother and a few men rushed to go help. She pushed through the door and stood on the walkway connecting to the next car, the valley whizzing by around her. She tried the next door but it was locked. She heard muffled shouting coming from inside and through the window she could see a man - a boy really, couldn't be more than 19 - standing in front of a large mahogany desk, one hand fisting the collar of an older man in a well tailored suit- the fancy pants owner of the train if Billie had to guess. The young man had a gun in his other hand and was holding it to the owner’s temple and screaming in his face. Neither of them seemed to have seen her. Good she still had the element of surprise. 

Billie hoisted herself up to the roof of the car, shakily getting to her feet as the wind battered her face. She put one hand on her hat to keep it from blowing away. She had made it halfway across the roof when she heard the screech of the brakes being applied and she lurched backwards, falling flat on her ass and tumbling to one side. She wedged her hand into one of the metal divots to keep herself from falling off, ignoring the metal cutting her flesh as she pulled herself back up. She regained her footing and continued with careful steps to the very back of the train. 

There was a little platform on the back with another door that led into the caboose. With some luck, the man wouldn’t have thought to lock it. She dropped down and tried the handle. It was unlocked. One hand on her revolver, she threw open the door with a shout. 

“Skin yerself, slick, or I’ll pump ya full of lead.” She heard a clicking noise from back outside, coming from the top of the roof. Tarei’hsan must have already made it back here to join up with her. 

The boy whirled around at her words, dragging the old man over the desk and placing his gun to his temple. “Shoot me and he’s dead,” he hissed, eyes wild. Like a cornered animal, Billie couldn’t help but think. 

The old man shivered with terror as he begged the both of them not to shoot. Billie scanned around for an opening, finding none. She was racing to find something else to do when there was a loud bang from the roof behind the two men. Tarei’hsan was giving her an opening. She smiled as the boy snapped around to look at the source of the noise, exposing one of his legs just enough for her to get a shot in. The bullet ripped through the air with a bang and landed squarely in his right thigh. He barely had the chance to howl in pain before Billie had shoved the old man away and tackled him. 

The two of them rolled around the floor of the train car, Billie wrestling with his flailing limbs as she pinned him. She delivered a few hard punches to his face and she felt his nose break under her clenched fist, the blood splattering on the floor. Thinking about little Billy and his mother and all the other injured passengers, she slammed her fists into him over and over. All this for what? The safe of one rich man? A few luxury goods? She didn’t stop until the man’s head lulled to the side, unconscious. 

*******

It turned out that Tarei’hsan had overestimated the  _ ooman’s _ primitive technology. After a scan of the braking mechanism, he saw that the broken rod connected to a larger mechanism of levers and springs on the underside of the compartment. He had simply needed to rip through the metal flooring and fiddle with a few things before the brakes engaged. 

As the train screeched to a halt, Tarei’hsan took to the roofs. His scans indicated there were more  _ oomans _ in the back of the train and he didn’t want to risk being spotted. As he leapt from compartment to compartment, he could make out the form of Billie on the roof of the last one, pulling herself to her feet. He felt momentarily guilty for not checking to see if she was safe before stopping the train, but then again he hadn’t expected her to be climbing around on the roof!

He made his way towards her, watching as Billie dropped down off the far edge of the compartment and shoved her way inside. He swore he could hear her shout something about skinning someone, feeling heat pooling in his groin as images of her peeling skin away from flesh flashed through his mind, letting out a cross between a trill and a purr as he did. 

Focusing, he used his biomask to peer through the roof of the compartment, seeing as Billie and her prey were locked in a standoff. The man had pulled another _ooman_ in front of him as a meat shield.  _ S'yuit-de ooman _ . He did not even deserve to be in Billie’s presence. 

Tarei’hsan punched the roof of the compartment hard, hoping the clang of metal would prove enough of a distraction for Billie to break the standoff. He was not disappointed as Billie fired a shot into the man’s leg before tackling him to the ground, watching as she beat him over and over again. As enticing as the sight was, he couldn’t help but wonder if Billie knew how to skin something. From their previous conversations it seemed she was familiar with the practice, but maybe he shouldn’t have assumed. He would have to teach her how to do it properly later. 

The train finally rolled to a stop and Tarei’hsan lept from the roof and settled himself on the branches of a tree a ways away. He waited there for hours as Billie tended to the other passengers. He wished he was able to help but he could not expose himself. 

After tending to the passengers, she was approached by the man who had been used as a meat shield. He was older, with wispy white hair, a large gut that hung low over his belt, and a bum leg that caused him to walk with a slight limp. The old man shoved a large chest into Billie’s hands, which she tried to hand back to him but he was insistent. Tarei’hsan had always thought it strange how an  _ ooman’s _ physical condition deteriorated as they aged. It was not so for elder yautjas, who were some of the fiercest warriors they had. It was not until they hit their 800th year - old enough to be considered an ancient - until a yautja’s physical condition would start to decline. 

Dusk was settling in when men on horses appeared, he assumed they were law enforcement of some sort. Billie had explained to him that though she hunted criminals, she was not technically a member of the  _ ooman’s _ organized law enforcement. He hadn’t understood the difference but apparently it was important. Behind these men came wagons, no doubt to bring the injured back so they could be tended to. Billie helped the passengers get into the wagon, ruffling a pup’s hair as she hoisted him into the cart. When that was done she turned to the law enforcement and exchanged words with them for a while. He watched as she squared her shoulders and waved a piece of paper - the bounty - in their faces. He made out their grumbles as they dug through their belongings to find a pouch which they tossed to her. Billie chuckled before she tipped her hat for them and walked away. 

Tarei’hsan chittered so she would know he was around, but waited in the tree, uncloaked, to see if she would be able to find him. It took her a little bit and he needed to click a few more times, but she made her way to the base of the tree he was perched in. 

“Howdy, pard.” She greeted him as she looked up at him. He swiftly jumped down so they would be more at eye level and she continued. “We earned ourselves a hell of a windfall today. The good Mr. Huntington was real grateful I saved his life and gave me a whole safe fulla cash as thanks.” She hoisted up the heavy chest to show him. He took it and held it under his arm to lighten her load. “Plus, my friends from the sheriff’s station rode out here and I oh so kindly reminded them of the bounty they owed me. Were none too happy ‘bout given’ it to a woman but paid up in the end.” She said with a smug laugh. 

Tarei’hsan rumbled as well and added, “They should learn to give females the respect they deserve. I can teach them.” To drive his point home he flexed his wrist,  _ dah'kte _ extending in a silent promise. 

Billie simply flicked his arm and said, “Naw, they ain’t even worth it. I appreciate it though, darlin’.” There was that word again. He did not know it’s meaning but every time she said it, heat would color her cheeks. It was a strange reaction, something that was happening more and more often, and he decided he would get to the bottom of it soon enough. 

Billie coughed and the two started walking back to where they had left his ship and The Duchess. As they did she turned to him with a grin. “I think this victory calls for another celebration.” 

Tarei’hsan purred in agreement. “We will have  _ c'ntlip _ this time… if Billie can handle it.” He chuckled as she shoved her shoulder into his arm. He used her proximity to snake an arm around her waist and pull her up, hooking his other arm under her knees as she let out a surprised squeak. Before she could protest, he started running and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull herself tighter to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> sain'ja - blooded warrior  
> C’jit - Shit  
> kha'bj-te - reckless  
> thwei - blood  
> dah'kte - wristblades  
> Pauk - Fuck  
> S'yuit-de - pathetic  
> c'ntlip - alcoholic beverage
> 
> Cowboy Translations:  
> Skin yerself - Drop your weapon  
> ******  
> Heheheh, we are so so close you guys! I think you'll like the next few chapters 👀
> 
> Also, I have another little fic in the works that I'll (hopefully) be posting at the end of the month. Let's just say it's Halloween themed...


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you spot any typos/errors, please let me know. It's much appreciated <3

Billie stared down with wide eyes at the liquid in the glass before her. It was a dark red, similar in color to blood but much more transparent. Why had she expected it to be brown or clear like most alcoholic drinks on Earth? 

“It’s red.” She told him, stating the obvious. 

_“Sei-i_ _”_ Tarei’hsan cocked his head, as if her statement was meant to trick him. 

_“ Why_ is it red?” She clarified. 

He continued to stare at her, thinking of the right words to say. “Color comes from plant used to make it. Each clan has their own version on _c'ntlip_ , usually made from the native flora of the the territories they control.” 

“So you can only drink yer own clan’s version? Does that get boring after a while?” Billie had a particular fondness for whiskey, but even she enjoyed some variation on occasion. 

_“ H’ko_ . The c’ntlip made by one’s clan is simply the most accessible drink for most hunters.” Tarei’hsan clarified with a chuckle. “Clans trade between themselves often, and the _c’ntlip_ of certain clans are highly sought after. The version made on Yautja Prime is especially popular. That one is a golden color.” 

“Sounds pretty.” She looked back down the red beverage in her hand and shrugged. Why the hell not. She clinked her glass with Tarei’hsan’s and took a sip. 

Billie immediately started coughing as the liquor burned the back of her throat. “Boy howdy, you weren’t kiddin’ when you said this stuff was strong.” Tarei’hsan simply let out a loud barking laugh and she went to take another sip, this time barely parting her lips to let the liquid through . Once she got past the burn, she started to taste the flavor. It was herby, reminding her almost of tea, but with an almost sour aftertaste. 

“It’s not bad.” She told him and watched as he downed half of his glass without blinking. Show off. “Though, I think I might need to water mine down a bit…” she added quickly.

She poured half of her glass’s contents into his before she pulled out her canteen and filled her glass with water. She took another sip to taste. “Ahhh, much better... Cheers, pardner.” The two clinked glasses again and spent time by the fire in silence, waiting as the wild turkey she had shot earlier cooked over the fire. 

After eating their fill of dinner and having a few more rounds of _c’ntlip_ each, Billie was feeling thoroughly content - and very, very drunk. But it was the good kind of drunk that made the tips of her toes tingle, the kind that left her lightheaded and wanting to do silly things. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. 

“Oi, you know what this party needs? Fancy clothes! I gots me a purdy new dress that I wanna wear. Do you got any fancy armor or somethin’?” 

“I have set of armor used in certain ceremonies...” Tarei’hsan trilled pensively. 

“Perfect! Let’s go change. Last one back is a rotten egg!” She taunted as she raced over to The Duchess on wobbly legs and pulled out the blue dress Ethel had given her. Ducking into the ship, she headed into the bathroom and quickly stripped off her old clothes and threw the dress on over her head. 

It was made of a soft calico fabric, a solid dark blue with small white flowers decorating it. The sleeves were simple and she rolled them up a ways for better ease of movement. It had a row of simple white buttons down the front and a slightly ruffled hem that fell just above her ankles. It would normally be a little scandalous for a woman to be walking around with her ankles bared, but Billie had never been one to care about that sort of thing. She grabbed the snakeskin belt Tarei’hsan had gifted her and fastened it around her waist before slipping her boots back on. They didn’t match the dress at all, but they were all she had. 

Considering her reflection in one of the sleek metal walls that lined the bathroom, she decided to tug her hair out of the simple up do she usually kept it in, using her fingers to comb it before twirling it into two simple braids. To finish the look off, she put her Stetson back on her head. 

Forgetting the challenge she had issued as she ran here, she spent the next few minutes twirling around, the skirt of the dress billowing around her. She had long ago perfected her motor skills while inebriated. She still wobbled around like a drunk but could safely run and spin without face planting.

Billie couldn’t help but giggle, she had no idea the last time she had worn a dress. But it felt nice. 

She finally stepped out of the bathroom and made her way back to the campfire. Tarei’hsan was surprisingly not there. She had seen how speedy he was when he wanted to be. It took a few more minutes before she heard his footsteps descending down the ramp. 

She turned to look his way and found he had donned a set of intricate black armor, polished to a high sheen that glowed in the moonlight. It had the same sorts of pieces as his normal armor, though it had a full breastplate and a longer kilt that came down to his mid thigh. It was also more decorative than his normal armor, with a more elaborate, angular finish. It was definitely more form over function. The most striking detail were the alien symbols that had been carved onto each surface and then filled with a coppery metal, almost like the veins of precious metal found deep in a mine. 

Billie whistled low as he approached. “Now don’t you look handsome.” She watched as he struck a pose for her, puffing out his chest and widening his stance. “I bet you have to beat the ladies off of you back at the clanship.” 

Tarei’hsan ignored her comment, instead responding with a deep purr as his eyes raked over Billie’s outfit. “Billie looks… pur-dee.” He tried out the word she had used before and she felt a blush creep across her face. He settled down beside her and filled up her glass. Feeling bold, Billie inched herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around his and resting her head on his shoulder. His skin was warm from the fire and the rough, pebbly texture felt good against her cheek. She felt as he gently took the fabric of her dress between two fingers and rubbed, examining the texture.

Sighing contently, she took another sip of her drink before leaning her head back to look up at the sky, finding the long silvery arm of the Milky Way sweeping across the heavens, the stars like diamonds against the inky blackness. Her thoughts drifted to his offer to bring her with him, to leave Earth and travel the cosmos. There were at least a million stars up there, a million adventures waiting to be had.

“Have you ever been to that one?” She pointed up to a large white star twinkling brightly. Tarei’hsan’s eyes followed up her arm to see which one she pointed at. 

“ _Sei-i_. Fought a pack of _rjet_ on one of the moon’s that orbit it.” Billie snapped her head around to look at him, his face serious but his eyes filled with a bit of mischief. She smiled back at him. 

“What about that one?” She moved her hand to another, this one dull and orange. They played that game for a while, her pointing to a glowing spot in the sky and him making up a story of the grand adventures he had there.

Once, leaving the country, let alone the planet, would have seemed a ridiculous notion, but now she wasn’t so sure. She had always been a drifter, but the idea of starting over again and establishing herself in another new place now felt like a burden rather than something fun. Sure, if she left she would have to do the same thing, but then she would have Tarei’hsan. She hadn’t realized it until their time together, but she was lonely. Had been for a long time. Dutch was a good companion, but at the end of the day she was an animal, unable to connect with her emotionally. She had no one that really understood her - her dad had always been her champion but he was dead, and her mom had never approved of her lifestyle. But the two of them had formed a connection in their brief time together that left her feeling complete. The thought of parting ways with him left a hollow feeling in her chest - right where her heart was. 

_When had she fallen in love with him?_

It was like a weight lifting off her shoulders, finally admitting it to herself. She was filled with a sudden certainty then, knowing that wherever he went, she would follow. If he would have her. For all she knew his offer had already expired, or it had been a joke. A sick twisted joke. 

“Will you bring me to see them all?” she croaked out, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“I will show you the whole galaxy, Billie.” He rumbled next to her, the sound vibrating through her chest. She peeked up at him to find his golden eyes looking back at her, burning with an intensity she had never seen before. His answer caused her heart to swell. How was this alien, this deadly apex predator, so incredibly sweet?

Feeling like her whole body was made of air, Billie grabbed Tarei’hsan’s arm and attempted to pull him to his feet. “Come dance with me!” she said with a laugh. He started to rise but the sudden (to a drunk person) movement caused her to lose her balance, falling and taking him down with her. The two of them landed with a grunt, Billie splayed out awkwardly on top of him. She started to push herself off of him, using his chest as leverage, but froze when they made eye contact. Instead of pushing further away, she slid her arms up and looped them around his neck, pulling herself back down so they were chest to chest, faces only inches from each other. 

Without a second thought, Billie asked, “Can I kiss you?” 

******

Tarei’hsan stared back at her, feeling her breath breeze across his face. When she had fallen on top of him, he had frozen, letting her take the lead. Fortunately, she had pulled herself closer to him, asking for a ‘kiss’. He did not know what this ‘kiss’ was, but he wanted it simply because Billie had offered it. 

“ _Sei-i_ ” he nodded, moving to rest his hands on her lower back.

Billie leaned down and pressed her soft brown lips to one of his mandibles. He had to hold himself back from clicking them together in delight, afraid any movement would scare her away. The sensation was wholly new to him, but not at all unpleasant, tickling the thin sensitive flesh there. She moved to do the same to the other three, letting out soft sounds between each one that drove him wild. When she pulled away from the last one, he flexed it so it would tickle her cheek. She let out a giggle, a sound he had come to love, and he did it again. This time she caught it between her lips and tugged playfully. 

He leaned his head forward to nuzzle his crest into her forehead, his purring ramping up and his _dai-shui_ filling the air around them. She peppered kisses on his cheekbones before moving up to his crest, pressing the tip of her blunt tongue against one of the diamond-shaped markings as her hands trailing up the back of his neck and winding into the base of his tresses. He felt a fire raging inside him, his body blazing with need for her. He wanted to press her into the dirt and take her right there, but he controlled himself, every muscle of his body wound tightly like a spring. He was an honorable warrior and would not hurt her. No matter how aroused she made him. 

He nestled his face into her neck, wrapping his mandibles around it and running his long, slender tongue up from her shoulder to right under her ear. That earned him a soft “Oh”, her breath tickling the wet spot she had left on his crest. A shiver travelled down her body, but he knew it was not from fear, for he could only scent the musky sweetness of her arousal on her. 

From under his loincloth, he could feel himself start to unsheathe, his breaths coming hard as his paws roamed up and down her back, claws scraping enough to tantalize but not to harm. With a moan, Billie rocked herself on top of him, her core pressed right against his hardening length. He hissed in arousal and his hips stuttered up into her, her fingers tightening around his tresses as he did. 

“Tarei’hsan,” came her breathy moan, trailing off at the last syllable. He looked up into her face and met her brown eyes, finding them bright with desire. 

“Billie,” he answered hotly, matching the intensity of her gaze with his own. 

He held her tightly to him as he got to his feet in one fluid motion. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he stroked the length of her thighs, rucking up the fabric of her dress on the way back up, reveling in the sensation of her soft flesh against his rough palms. 

With a few long strides, he was already up the ramp and heading straight for his bedroom. He pulled her face close again, opening his mandibles so his long tongue could press against her lips. She parted them and met his tongue with her own, the two of them intertwining as they lost themselves in the sensation. 

He could barely focus on putting one foot in front of the other, distracted and drunk as he was. As they passed through the hallway, his body swayed and he had to press one hand against the wall to catch himself, pulling away from her as he did. 

Once he steadied himself, he met her gaze again. Her pupils were blown, but her eyes were slightly unfocused and her gaze glassy. If he was this inebriated, he could only imagine how she was feeling. He was suddenly hit with the realization that this wasn’t right. He was an honorable yautja, one who would never take advantage of a heavily inebriated female. Only weaklings, ones who had no chance of fighting a female into submission unless she was so drunk she could barely stand would do such a thing. 

He continued to his room, pressing his crest to her’s once again and ignoring her attempts to pull him into another kiss. Kneeling down next to his sleeping pallet, he placed her gently into the plush furs that covered it and unhooked her limbs from around him before pulling away, as much as it pained him to do so. He held her down as she tried to rise and rejoin him, using just enough force to keep her pinned without hurting her. 

When he met her eyes, he found them filled with confusion and sadness. He hated that look, hated that he was the one to make her feel that, but knew it was the right thing to do. He brought his hand up to cup her face and ran his thumb along her cheekbone. 

“Billie, we cannot do this,” he told her softly, continuing to rub her cheek as he purred for her. Her lips opened as if to protest, but he could see her eyelids were heavy, already half closed as her body sunk deeper into the furs. 

He stayed with her until she was soundly asleep, her breaths coming out in a steady rhythm. He pulled one of the pelts over her body before walking out of the room, door shutting behind him. With a sigh, he started towards the _kehrite_ , hoping some training would be enough to cool him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> Sei-i -Yes  
> c'ntlip - alcoholic beverage  
> H'ko - No  
> rjet - type of animal  
> dai-shui - musk  
> kehrite - dojo/training area  
> ******
> 
> Heheheh, sorry to cuck you guys like this... I couldn't let you guys off that easy. Need to drag it out just a bit more. 
> 
> In all honesty, it really is just because Tarei'hsan is a gentleman. He said "Respect people's right to consent or die by my sword." 
> 
> I am still planning on getting the next chapter out by the 10th, so please don't tear me limb from limb in the meantime! (Jk, I love you guys and your enthusiasm for this story <3)


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Zoey 101 voice* Are you ready...? 
> 
> As promised, here is what we've all been waiting for... my birthday gidt to myself and you. Hope you enjoy!!

Billie woke up feeling like she was laying in a cloud. Blinking her eyes and looking around, she found herself tucked under a soft fur pelt and lying in the largest bed she had ever seen. It was rectangular and at least 8 feet long on the shorter side. Pelts of various colors, most from creatures she didn’t recognize, were strewn over it to create a plush bedding that she sunk into. 

It was so comfortable - especially compared to sleeping on the hard packed earth - and Billie didn’t want to get up. Doubly so when memories of what had happened last night came crashing back to her like a freight train. She threw her arm over her face in embarrassment. How could she have been so stupid? Giggling like a schoolgirl and coming onto him like a bitch in heat. And he had been the upmost gentleman, gently tucking her dumb, drunk ass into bed despite the fact she was literally dry humping him. 

She rolled to the edge of the bed and got to her feet, bare soles landing on the warm metal buried under a layer of white mist. He had even taken her shoes off and placed them neatly by the bed. She couldn’t think of one other man she had been with that would have done that for her. Not that she only slept with scumbags, but most of the time they would do the deed quick and dirty, just as a way to satisfy a primal need. There was never any care and compassion in it, some romance, yes, but the next morning they’d both be back on their way. 

Clambering to her feet, she didn’t bother slipping her boots on as she padded into the bathroom. Her other clothes were still folded in the corner and she remembered she had put on the stupid dress. Just adding to her shame. Taking stock of herself, she was surprised she didn’t look like a pile of shit, like she usually did after a night of drinking so heavily. Her hair was messed up from sleep, one braid starting to come loose, but that was it. No dark circles, no dry eyes. She was distinctly aware of the fact she had no hangover… a strange yet pleasing effect of the _c’ntlip_. Even so, there was no way in hell she was ever going to drink it again. She’d made enough mistakes. 

She went to one of the counters where the wave of her hand caused a metal faucet to rise from the flat surface. It was automatic and she marveled at the technology at Tarei’hsan’s disposal. She splashed some on her face to rub the sleep from her eyes before she cupped her hands together to catch enough to take a long drink. How nice was it to just have water available on tap? She would miss it if he decided he was done with her after last night’s shenanigans. She debated the merits of just tucking tail and running, which would avoid ever having to face him again. But she quickly dismissed the idea. He deserved better than that, after all he had done for her. Plus, she knew if she ran he would easily find her. 

Running out of things to do, she knew she couldn’t keep stalling the inevitable. She didn’t even bother fixing her braid or putting on her normal clothes, just defeatedly slinking out of the bathroom before heading out to the hallway to search for him. 

It didn’t take long to find him, he was in the training room, the _kehrite_ , as he had called when he had first given her a tour of the ship. Billie paused in the doorway, unable to will her feet to cross the threshold. He was sitting on the floor, his spear leaned against the wall nearby, and running the brim of her hat between his hands. Those hands were so big, she remembered the feel of them running up and down her back, large enough to touch when he wrapped them around her middle. 

He stood as soon as he saw her, getting to his feet with the grace of a big cat, coming towards her and stopping when there was 10 feet between them. 

“Billie” he said, staring at her with those beautiful, irresistible golden eyes. 

Her mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out. She stood there for a while, wringing her hands and digging her nails into her palm, averting her gaze. He was waiting for her to say something and she finally managed to choke out, “I-I’m sorry. For last night. I s-shouldn’t have…” Her voice trailed off into a whisper, the end of her sentence drowned out by his hypnotic purring. 

“Why sorry?” he asked, cocking his head and sending his black dreadlocks cascading over one shoulder. 

That surprised her, and she fumbled for something to say, feeling her eyes well up with emotion. Goddamnit, if she cried in front of him she would kick her own ass. He stepped forward then, pausing right in front of her and bringing up his large hand to brush a stray piece of hair out of her face, using the other hand to place her hat back on her head with a firm pat. 

“Not used to you being so timid.” he rumbled, the sound coming from deep in his chest. 

Billie smiled wryly. “I’m not used to it either. I… I just don’t want to mess this up.” _More than I already have_ , she almost added. “Whatever we have between us… I like it. I like being yer pardner and I don’t wanna lose you.” There she finally said it. 

“Not want to mess up either. That is why I did not mate with you last night. I wanted to court you properly. Female like you deserves it.” 

It was the sweetest, most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her, and he said it with such ease. She felt her face flush hotly at his words. 

“Court…?” 

“ _Sei-i_. Have been trying to figure out how _oomans_ go about it… and failing at it badly, if Billie not even know I was trying to court her.” He said with a self-depreciating huff. 

He had been trying to court her this whole time? Billie couldn’t help the wide smile that cracked through her somber expression as she nestled her cheek into his palm. That was adorable. 

“Since when?” she asked. Had that been why he was in her campsite the night they first met? 

“Always fascinated by you, since I first watched you beat up your _ic’jit_ .” Her _ic’jit_? Was he talking about when she captured one of the Bartlett Brothers? “It was not until Billie proved herself a strong, honorable female after the fight with my _ic’jit_ that I realized why.” 

“I think I also realized I had feelings for you after that fight.” she admitted with a giggle. Stepping forward to close the remaining distance between them, she laced her arms around his waist and pulled him into a hug, feeling as he buried his face into the top of her head. She felt so warm and safe in his arms smiling against his chest. Feeling bold, she placed a little kiss to the rough skin there, which earned her another loud purr from him. Her heart felt like it was about to swell out of her chest. She had finally told him how she felt, and he had responded in kind, letting her know he was on board the Billie-train way before she was even thinking about him that way. 

She straightened up to look at him, not pulling away and instead resting her chin between his wide pectorals. “What does yautja courtin’ look like?” 

“Female will first show interest by shoving male in the chest.” 

Billie laughed from her place on his chest. “Am I doin’ this right? It’s not a shove but it’s pretty close.” Tarei’hsan joined in her laughter with a chuckle of his own that sent vibrations down her whole body. “Then what?” 

“Male will show her his trophy room. To prove to her he is a strong and worthy hunter.”

“Will you show me yours?” she asked, biting her lip as she did. She hoped it wasn’t impolite to ask. 

If it was, Tarei’hsan didn’t seem to care, rumbling out an affirmative as he fixed her with an intense look, pupils blown. Untangling themselves from each other, both with some hesitancy, Tarei’hsan led her out of the _kehrite_ and down the hall to what she supposed was his trophy room. Halfway there, Billie slipped her hand into his and rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. He turned to look down at her but didn’t protest, giving her hand a squeeze in return. 

He waved his gauntlet over a panel recessed into the wall and it lit up blue as a door formed out of the wall and slid to the side. He stepped to the side and swept his hand across the doorway to motion her inside. She held her breath, not knowing what to expect as she crossed the threshold. 

The room was large with high ceilings. Almost every surface was covered with skulls of all shapes and sizes, most from creatures she didn’t recognize and a few she did. There were a few human skulls scattered throughout, as well as one that looked like a rhinoceros. She would have expected the human skulls to bother her but they didn’t. She was under no illusions he had killed people before, but then again, so had she. Sure she didn’t take their skulls and hang it on her wall, but to her it was basically the same. 

She also spotted skulls that she assumed were from yautja, what with their four bony mandibles, deep set eyes, and prominent crest. There was a whole wall dedicated to them, she assumed because of his occupation, since he had told her only arbitrators were allowed to kill other yautja under their honor code. When he saw her examining them, he stepped up to them, getting her attention with a trill. 

Pulling one off the wall, he held it out to her. “This is the _ic’jit_ we fought together. I wanted to give it to you as a courting gift, but I was… unsure if you would appreciate the gift like a female yautja would. Instead, I gifted you the belt.” 

Fondly, her fingers traced over the belt in question, still secured to her waist. She really did like the belt. Feeling thoroughly sappy, she told him, “I would have liked any gift you gave me, just because it was from you.” Then she stepped up to look a little closer at the skull. 

The _ic’jit_ was much less imposing now that he was dead. She ran her fingers over the big crest, feeling the dense bone that made up the skull. She could barely make out the scrape in one of the eye sockets, presumably from her bullet. 

As if reading her mind, Tarei’hsan told her, “Billie is good shot.” Then, with another low rumbling laugh he turned and placed it back on the wall with the others. 

She paced around the room, finding skulls that matched the descriptions of the beasts he had fought in the stories he had shared with her. She pointed to one, an elongated skull with no visible eye sockets. “Is that one the _kian- kiande_ …” she paused, struggling to remember the yautja word. 

“ _Kiande amedha, sei-i_. That is the skull of a drone. And this is one of their queens.” He pointed to a huge skull that took up almost half of one wall, elongated like the other but decorated with a crown-like crest.

“Woah, that’s huge. Did you fight her all by yerself?” 

Billie watched as he puffed up with pride and couldn’t help the smile that danced across her face. “ _Sei-i_. It was a hard won prize. She left me with this scar as testament to our battle.” He pointed to a long gash across the front of his torso. It looked like it had hurt quite a bit.

She stepped closer and put her hands on his chest, tracing the scar with her fingers. She looked back up at him. “Yer so impressive. And strong. And handsome as hell, darlin’.”

“What is ‘darlin’?” he asked her with another cock of his head. She loved how he always did that when he was confused or had a question. It was an adorable little quirk of his. 

“It’s a term of endearment. You call someone darlin’ if they’re special to you.” 

“I am special to you?” he purred. 

“Of course. I don’t think I could bear leavin’ you anymore. I like you too damn much.” She said as she pressed her hands flat against his chest, running them up slowly to wrap around his neck. He leaned down and pressed his crest to her forehead. “Did ya really mean what you said last night? About bringin’ me with you?” 

“I could not bear to part with you either. You are... my darlin’.” Billie felt her heart skip a beat at his sweet words, loving his attempt to mimic her southern drawl. 

“C’mere, hot stuff.” She said as she planted her arms firmly on his shoulders and hoisted herself up to wrap her legs around his middle, pulling him in for a kiss. His mandibles opened and surrounded her face as her lips pressed against the soft inner skin there before their tongues met and intertwined. Billie reveled in the sensation, the taste of him, just like the way he smelled, smoky and earthy with a hint of spice. She took a deep breath to inhale his scent, the smell driving her wild, a white hot ribbon of arousal unfurling in her core. He filled her every sense, his smell, his taste, his strong arms wrapped around her, running up her thighs to squeeze her ass before moving up to caress her back, claws pricking her skin in a way that drove her mad with need. 

Momentarily pulled back from him, needing to catch her breath. As she looked around, she noticed they were no longer in the trophy room and had made their way to his bedroom. Once again she found herself in awe of him, his ability to move so silently and gracefully across the floor she had not even registered them moving. Granted, she was a bit distracted now, but still. 

She felt as he lowered her into the furs on the side of the bed, barely pausing before he had started to climb on top of her, one knee already on the bed. Before he could press her down all the way, she stopped him with a hand to his chest. 

“We’re wearin’ too many clothes.” she murmured, lips still pressed against his face. 

Not needing to be told twice, Tarei’hsan pulled himself back up and quickly started removing his armor, doing so with the practiced precision of someone who had done it a million times before. She watched hungrily as he did, enjoying the way his muscles rippled and flexed as he moved. 

Her brain was fogged with lust and she almost forgot she was also supposed to be undressing as well. Unlike him, she didn’t have a qualm tossing her stuff into a messy heap on the floor, kicking her boots off and undoing the belt before pulling her dress over her head and letting it flutter to the ground. Somehow her hat had slipped off her head again on their way here, and she was miles away from caring about it right now. She barely had the chance to pull her underwear down before he was bearing down on her, gaze predatory. 

Her eyes travelled down the length of his torso, appreciatively taking in the sight of his sculpted muscles, the gray and brown patterning of his skin, the trail of short spikes that led down from where his belly button should be down to the v of his thighs. _Wait, did he not have a-_

Her thought was cut off as he pounced on her, winding an arm around her waist and crushing her to him as they fell back into the furs. He deftly caught himself on one arm, keeping himself from crushing her with his weight as he mauvered them into the middle of the bed.

Her mind swirled, arousal mixing with the sliver of doubt that this would work out as smoothly as it had been so far. It had barely been a glimpse, but she could swear that there was nothing between his legs. No slit, no cock. Nothing. 

Pushing back the thought that it might be impolite to ask, she breathed, “Do you have a... penis?” 

He looked down at her, eyes glimmering with laughter as he rumbled. “ _Sei-i_. Inside sheathe.” 

She blinked up at him, unsure of exactly what to say. He declined to elaborate further, instead fixing his gaze on her nude form, his purr kicking up a notch as his idle hands roamed over her skin, greedily drinking her in. She didn’t have to wait long for things to explain themselves, though, as a seam appeared on the skin between his legs and his cock began to slide out. 

It was greenish in color and the skin there was delicately scaled, smooth and slightly moist with lubrication. The head was tapered slightly and there were ridges and bumps along its side and underside. Most of all though it was staggeringly large, and Billie let out a squawk as she took in the size. 

“That is… very big.” 

“And Billie is very small. What I need to do to help prepare?” He asked, pressing his forehead to hers. His eagerness was endearing, especially after so many guys who hemmed and hawed about doing anything for _her_ pleasure. Selfish pricks. 

She bit her lip and grasped one of his hands, leading it down to settle between her parting legs.  
“Here. Rub down here and-” she cut off when his fingers slid through her folds, breathing hard out of her nose as he tentatively trailed over her already damp flesh. 

Regaining her thoughts, she pulled one of his fingers so it brushed against her clit. She sucked in a breath at the feeling of his rough, textured skin brushing her most sensitive place. “Especially if you rub h-here...” Again her words were cut off as applied pressure, at first tentative but quickly becoming more firm and sure of himself. 

“Y-you tease.” She scolded playfully as her hips rocked into his hand, the muscles of her abdomen tightening at the sensation. 

He chuffed from above her and continued his ministrations, eyes burning and heavy with arousal. She grasped his arm, pressing her nails in as she trailed up his arm, rubbing his hard shoulder muscles before she grasped at his tresses, using them to pull him back down to her. He hissed and opened his mandibles, eagerly meeting her needy lips. She brought up her other hand to rub a thumb over one mandible. 

He turned his hand and pressed his fingers into her folds, sliding deeper and finding that special place inside. She keened and arched her back and he zeroed in on the spot that brought her such pleasure, redoubling his efforts. 

“Fuck. Yer a natural.” she huffed. He rumbled at her praise and the vibrations of it sent her over the edge, hips thrusting as she moaned into his mouth. 

Billie caught her breath, his thumbs rubbing little circles into her hips as her body slowly relaxed from its high. She ran her hands down the trail of quills at his waist, travelling further down to take a hold of his cock, slowly rubbing up and down his length. 

Needing no further invitation, he spread her thighs open wider with his own and she locked her ankles behind his knees. She gasped as she felt his length slide between her folds, ridges tantalizing against her wetness. 

She whimpered as he entered her, half pleasure half pain as he stretched her, pressing in slowly so her body could accommodate him. The pain quickly fell away as he filled her, bottoming out with a growl. He rocked out slowly until just the head was left inside her, before pushing back in, slightly faster this time. 

The ridges of his cock rubbed deliciously against her as he pressed in again and he quickly found a steady rhythm that had her seeing stars. She reveled in the mind numbing pleasure of it all for a few long moments before raising her hips to push back against him in time with his thrusts. 

His mandibles wrapped around the column of her neck and she listened to his hard breaths against her ear. For a second she even though she caught a breathy ‘ _pauk_ ’ between grunts. Billie was moaning loudly too, her head sinking back against the furs. He picked up speed, his thrusts growing harder and harder, pressing up into the very core of her. His whole body was vibrating from his throbbing purr and Billie let it wash over her like waves crashing into the shore. 

She moaned his name, barely getting in the last syllable as she reached her climax. She held onto him, blissed out, as he thrust into her a few more times, his own orgasm washing over him soon after her own. She felt him throb inside her, his cum burning hot as it filled her, excess spilling out and leaking down her thighs. 

The two of them stayed like that for a long while, both panting heavily, their chests heaving, as they came down from their respective highs. Eventually, he rolled off of her and pulled himself up off the bed and slipped off into the bathroom. 

Before Billie could even protest he was striding back, a wet rag in hand as he bent down to clean the both of them. He finished quickly and disposed of the rag before coming back to join her in the furs again. He pulled her close, tucking her into his side and she moved her leg to tangle with his. She nuzzled into his chest, soaking up the heat of him as he tangled his mandibles into her hair again.

Though she had just woken up, she found herself sleepy. With her cheek pressed against his chest, she could hear his alien four part heartbeat and she let its rhythm lure her back to a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> c’ntlip - alcoholic drink  
> kehrite - training dojo  
> Sei-i - Yes  
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> kiande amedha - hard meat (xenomorph)  
> pauk - fuck  
> *******
> 
> This was actually my first time writing smut, so any feedback is appreciated! I hope this was everything you wanted! And don't worry, this will not be the last smutty chapter ;)
> 
> (Also, i finished this up after a few b-day drinks, so please forgive any typos!!!!)


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I know it's been over a month since the last chapter, but I promise I will be finishing this story. There should be 2-3 chapters left depending on how wordy I get. 
> 
> I hope this chapter makes up for the absence. It's just a whole bunch of fluff and smut ;) I think I rewrote it like a million times, but I'm finally happy with it enough to post. 
> 
> As always, if there are any typos/errors please let me know!

Tarei’hsan could not remember the last time he had felt this good, his body relaxed and tingling in post-mating bliss. He always said nothing compared to the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline that coursed through him in victory. But that paled in comparison to what he felt right now, with Billie tucked against his side, dozing lightly as he ran his fingers through her hair. Her braids had long since come undone and her fair fell in soft waves down her back as he played with it. Normally, female yautja would take their leave once mating was over, though there was the rare instance they would stay. Tarei’hsan found he liked it quite a bit, enjoying the simple physical contact they shared. 

A groan from below him brought him back from his train of thought and he watched as Billie stretched out and readjusted herself, her hand coming to rest on his chest. He wasn’t sure if she was awake or not until her hand started gently stroking the quills that lined his chest. Her fingers started tracing patterns along his chest, poking and playing with the quills as she went. He looked down at her and found her eyes cracked open ever so slightly.

She turned to meet his gaze when she felt him move, humming a greeting as her face broke out into a crooked smile. He answered her with a contented purr of his own, not yet wanting to break the spell that had fallen over both of them. 

Her fingers explored his body, tracing along the patterning of his scales and the scars that littered his body. Eventually, her hand wandered back up to his chest, where she carded her fingers through the quills there one last time. 

“I always liked a man with chest hair.” She said suddenly, her head turning up to meet his eyes again. He cocked his head and was about to ask her what she meant, but she was already answering his unspoken question. “But I think I like this better.” 

With that, she pushed herself up so that her arms were folded over his chest, resting her head on them as she looked up at him with a shy smile. “I’d say mornin’, but I have no idea what time it is.”

Tarei’hsan chuckled. “You first woke as the sun was rising. Have only been asleep for about an hour.” He lifted one of his large hands to cup her cheek, running a thumb along the side of her face gently, mindful of his claws. “‘Mornin’ is appropriate.”

She smiled at his imitation of her drawl, turning her head slightly to press a soft kiss to the pad of his thumb, causing him to rumble slightly in appreciation. “Sorry for fallin’ asleep again. I must’ve been more tired than I thought.”

“Not mind it. Like to have Billie in my arms.” 

At his words, Billie’s face heated up, her cheeks turning slightly pink. With a giggle, she buried her face into his neck, which made him laugh again. 

“Awe shucks. I don’t think I can handle you bein’ so sweet.” She murmured against his skin, voice slightly muffled. 

Enjoying her reaction and feeling playful, Tarei’hsan continued. “Besides, Billie needed rest after our mating. She not used to mating with yautja.  _ Very _ tiring for a small  _ ooman. _ ” 

Her head perked up to fix him with a stare. He suspected it was meant to be scolding, but her lips were twisted slightly, betraying the fact she was suppressing a smile. “Yer naughty.” She chided him with a playful tug of his tresses. 

His purr deepened and he pulled her in for a kiss, which she reciprocated enthusiastically. His hands wandered to the back of one of her thighs, her knee pressing over his groin slightly, providing just enough friction to titillate, and he could feel his cock hardening in his sheath. He was more than up for a round two, though he suspected Billie would need more time to recover. Yautja stamina was unmatched across the universe, especially when it came to mating. 

Eventually, they broke apart, a trail of saliva still connecting them. Tarei’hsan found the sight strangely erotic and had to shove down the wave of arousal building within him. The string of saliva broke and trailed down Billie’s chin. Her face squinched up with distaste and she quickly wiped it away with her shoulder.

“Gosh, I’m a mess.” she sighed after she had cleaned herself up.

“We can go wash, if you would like.” He offered. 

At her nod, he sat up, gathering her in his arms before standing in one fluid motion. Once upright, he hefted her up to get a better grip and she squeaked in surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck to steady herself. They caught each other’s eyes and both descended into a fit of laughter as he padded over to the bathroom. 

******

Once in the bathroom, Tarei’hsan set her down and turned to start fiddling with a control panel on one of the walls. With the press of a button, a large circular hole opened up in the ground, revealing a large basin that rapidly began to fill with water. It was so large, easily over ten feet in diameter and deep enough she wasn’t sure she would be able to touch the bottom and still keep her head above water. Luckily, she spotted a ledge along the edge, giving her a place to sit so she didn’t drown. 

Not content to stand naked in the middle of the room, she made her way to the edge of the pool, sitting down and dangling her legs over the side, the hot water barely lapping at her toes. She watched Tarei’hsan stride across the room to rummage through some drawers, her eyes wandering over the planes of his back and lingering on his ass. Damn he was hot. She wanted to whistle cheekily at him but suppressed the urge.

She didn’t have to wait long before the tub was filled. The water was tinted slightly blue with a slight herbal smell and it caused her skin to tingle pleasantly as she slid in. She took a handful of the water and splashed it over her face, using her hands to scrub it clean. She was dirtier than she thought, little streaks of dirt and grime swirling around the water before dissolving completely. 

“Woah” She couldn’t help but exclaim as she watched the dirt disappear. 

A low rumble came from behind her and she turned her attention away from the magic water. Tarei’hsan was there with some bottles in his hands. He set them down by the edge and slipped into the water next to her. He wasted no time snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her into him. 

“Yer bathtub is magic.” She told him excitedly. 

“Not magic. Water has chemical additive that breaks down dirt and grime. And kills harmful bacteria and other pathogens. Very important when hunting on strange planets. Not want to bring back disease.”

She stared down at the water and contemplated his words for a moment. She didn’t really understand everything he was telling her, but she understood the gist.

“So you don’t need soap or nothin’?” He nodded in affirmation and she broke out into a smile as she waved her hand through the water, creating little whirlpools with each motion. “A gal could get used to this!” 

He turned to grab one of the bottles from the edge. “Can still use cleansing products if you want.  _ Ooman _ hair has natural oils that water strips away, same with yautja tresses. This helps. Plus... it smells nice.”

“Hmmm, an enticin’ offer…” she drawled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his. “How ‘bout this, you can use that on my hair if I can use it on yer tresses.” She proposed with a bite of her lip. She really liked playing with his tresses. They were rubbery and slightly squishy to the touch and his reaction whenever she tugged on them was icing on the cake, that hypnotic purr of his always kicking up a notch when she did so. 

“Deal.” 

Feeling bold, Billie leaned back to dunk her head underwater, using her thigh muscles to anchor herself around his waist as she gave him a little show. She quickly shook her hair out underwater, letting whatever was in it cleanse her dirty hair. As she pulled herself up, she followed his eyes as they raked up her abdomen, taking in every mark and blemish on her otherwise smooth skin, pausing at her breasts for a beat, before finally coming to rest on her face. His purring had ramped up even more, to a point where she could have swore there were ripples in the water. 

That sound. It did things to her, made her brain turn to mush and set her body alight with desire. The hot water had already started to soothe her aching muscles and as good as a round two of mind-blowing sex sounded right now, she did also really want that head massage. So she turned herself in his lap so that her back was pressed to his chest, the low vibrations there travelling down her spine and making her toes tingle. She tipped her head back against his shoulder and planted a few lazy open mouthed kisses along the underside of his jaw. By the way she felt him tense slightly under her, she suspected the skin there was extra sensitive, so she gave him one little nip before pulling away to give him room to work. 

He left out a sound halfway between a growl and a huff and she couldn’t help but giggle at him over her shoulder. He fixed her with a stare that told her she would pay for this later as he took the bottle of oil and poured it into his hands. Ever so gently, he began to methodically rub it into her hair, starting at the top and working his way through her thick locks. He was right, the oil smelled amazing. The scent was something totally foreign to her, but still sweet and relaxing, making her feel like a pampered princess as it mixed with the steam swirling around them. She let out a shaky sigh as the points of his claws pressed into her scalp, scratching with just enough pressure to give her goosebumps. Her eyes drooped and she sunk deeper into the water as his hands trailed down to her back and shoulders, rubbing the sweet smelling oil into her skin. She felt as he found the little moles on her back, tracing each one slowly as if trying to memorize each one. If she hadn’t just been sleeping, she was sure she would have drifted off right about now. 

As much as she never wanted this to end, she also wanted to get her hands on him, to play with his tresses and run her palms over the broad planes of his chest, so she eventually cracked open her eyes and turned back to face him. “My turn now.” 

He handed her the bottle before dipping his head beneath the water. His black tresses floated somewhat so she helped him submerge them all. When he resurfaced, she pushed them out of his face as she settled on his lap, kneeling on his legs so she could work at a better angle. She took the oil and started rubbing it into his tresses, taking a few at a time and slowly running her hands up and down their length, savoring the texture of them. His purr kicked back up immediately and his hands found her waist, tugging her closer to him. He was eye level with her chest and she didn’t even have a moment to feel embarrassed before one of his mandibles brushed over her nipple. 

She gasped at the sudden stimulation and looked down at him in surprise, finding a smug, content expression on his face. It was payback time, it seemed. 

Ignoring him, she turned back to focus on her work but he was making it very difficult for her. His hands wandered down her thighs before trailing back up, sliding up her ribcage to settle right under her breasts. One of his thumbs brushed over her nipple and she felt it start to harden as if exposed to cold air. Yautja women did not have breasts unless they were actively breastfeeding - something Tarei’hsan had told her nonchalantly one night by the fire and she had been thankful for the darkness to hide her blush - and she suspected he was curious about hers but restraining himself from exploring too much in case of irritating her. Always the gentleman, which she normally appreciated, but right now that would not do. 

With a hum, she leaned into him and started working on the tendrils at the back of his head. He continued his ministrations, the feeling of his hot breath against her wet skin combined with the light caresses of her breasts was enough to drive her wild. But she let him explore, determined to give him the same luxury treatment he had so kindly given her. With his tresses done, her hands travelled down to his back and shoulders, the hard muscles there flexing slightly beneath her palms, as she pressed her thumbs down to massage him. 

This was perfect. Or well, almost perfect. There was one thing that had been gnawing at the back of her mind for a while now. 

“Tarei’hsan?” She asked as she rubbed along his biceps. 

He let out a trill to let her know he was listening and turned his head up to look at her, his golden eyes half lidded and pupils blown. 

“Not to, uh, ruin the mood or nothing, but… there’s one thing that’s botherin’ me. I’m more than happy to go with you to wherever,” She said, waving one of her hands towards the ceiling to get her point across, “but what about Dutch? I mean, she ain’t the biggest fan of being cooped up in yer ship. And I can’t leave her. She’s my baby.” 

“Billie not need worry. Already have plan to take Dutch with us. Friend has spaceship with room for animals. He want smaller ship and also owe me a favor. Will make a trade.” 

“Wha- Are you sure? I mean, this is yer ship. I don’t want you to give it away for my sake!” 

“An easy trade if it mean Billie and Dutch will be with me.” He said it so matter-of-factly and Billie could feel her eyes well up as she was overcome with emotion. She could tell he’d been thinking about this for some time, planning ways to bring them both with him comfortably. Her heart was practically melting in her chest and she threw her arms around him, pulling him into the tightest hug she could muster. 

“Yer the best, you know that?” She mumbled into his shoulder. 

“So smart.” She pressed a kiss to his neck. 

“And strong.” Another kiss, this time on his cheek. 

“And handsome.” She kissed his closed mandibles. “So, so handsome.” 

She knew she was rambling, but she wanted him to know just how much he meant to her. She peppered kisses all over his face as she heaped praises on him. She finally circled back to his mandibles and this time he opened them for her, their tongues intertwining. 

******

Tarei’hsan marveled at this new form of affection, enjoying the sensation of their tongues tangling together, the feel of her soft lips brushing against the sensitive inner skin of his mandibles. A short time ago, if someone were to suggest this to him, he would have laughed it off, but now he couldn’t get enough. 

He swelled in pride, her praises still swirling around in his head. He was not used to such words from a female, usually it was the other way around, the male heaping compliments upon the female to entice her into mating. Billie was always so forthright with her compliments. If he did something that impressed her, she made sure to tell him, usually with a bright smile that made his head spin and left a tender feeling in his chest. A part of him was telling him not to let her words get to his head, after all an overinflated ego was the downfall of many seasoned yautja. But he could not help but crave every single sweet word that spilled from her soft, fleshy lips. 

They broke away and rested their foreheads together, both chests heaving as they caught their breath. His  _ dai-shui _ hung heavy in the air, and he could make out the scent of Billie’s arousal as well. 

His cock was already beginning to unsheath and he wanted nothing more than to grapple with her, to prove his strength to her by pinning her to the ground and mating with her until they were both exhausted. He had to physically restrain himself from pouncing on her right then and there, wanting to respect her right as a female to initiate their mating. 

Luckily, it seemed  _ Paya _ was smiling upon him because Billie huffed out, “Tarei’hsan…” His eyes snapped open at the sound of her voice, finding her chewing on her lip and flicking her eyes back and forth, something she did when nervous. “H-how does a round two sound right now?” 

_ Ooman _ language evaded him at the moment, so he nodded his head vigorously in acceptance. He couldn’t help but smile at the bashful way she asked him, as if there was even a chance he would refuse. 

He caged her between his arms and was beginning to stand when he heard her squeak out a breathless, “Wait!”

He froze and loosened his grip on her, allowing her space to pull away. She didn’t. Instead she looked up at him with a sly grin plastered across her face. “I just remembered…” was all she told him before taking both hands and shoving hard against his chest. 

_ That _ was much more like his Billie. 

A growl ripped from his chest as he stood up and spun them both around so they were facing the edge of the bathing pool, their feet planted on the ledge they had just been sitting on. He drew her arms behind her back and bent her over the ledge so her chest rested on the floor. Water splashed over the edge of the pool as he positioned himself behind her, one hand splayed out over the middle of her back to keep her pinned while he used the other to brace himself against the floor. Through his lust-filled brain, he made sure to keep telling himself to be gentler than he was used to, reminding himself that his mate was  _ ooman _ and not yautja. 

He heard a squeak from below him and was afraid that despite his caution he had still hurt her. “Not good?” he trilled out to her as he lessened the pressure he was holding her with. 

“No! It’s good, very good. Keep going…” She breathed out, one of her arms reaching back to pull him back against her. 

His cock was already unsheathed and pressing up against her ass, the sensation of her soft flesh against his member making it pulse slightly. Her hips pressed back into him and she let out a shaky moan as he was hit with a strong wave of her arousal. Ah, it seemed his mate was enjoying this. 

He ran his cock between her folds and found her entrance. Impatient to feel her again, he was about to press inside of her when he remembered that she needed some extra stimulation in order to take him. So he continued to glide his cock between her wet folds as he wrapped his arm around her, trailing his claws down her belly before reaching the apex of her thighs. He used the pads of his fingers to stimulate the little nub she had shown him the night before and he delighted when it earned him another moan as she ground herself against his fingers. 

Tarei’hsan was content to continue like this until she had reached her climax, just as before, but Billie had other ideas. “God… p-please put it in.” She begged him, her words turning his whole body into a blazing inferno. 

Needing no more prompting, he pulled his hand away and spread her legs further as he pressed himself into her, going slow in part because he did not want to hurt her but also because he simply wanted to savor the feeling. Her walls clenched around him almost painfully as he pushed in deeper, the heat of her sex enveloping him completely, causing him to let out a snarl. She answered it with a ragged moan as he bottomed out inside her, her face pressing into his arm and hands clawing at the smooth ground. 

He wrapped herself around her, moving down to his forearm so she could rest her head there. She shifted to bring one of her knees up to the edge of the pool and his other hand found her hip to steady her shaking body. 

Once they were better settled he pulled out slowly before pushing back in, faster this time than before. He kept this up until he was met with little resistance, setting a steady rhythm that made his mind go blank. He felt her hips pressing back against him, meeting each thrust with a wet sound that spurred him on even more. Leaning over her more, he pressed his face to the slender column of her neck, wrapping his mandibles around it and huffing in time against her damp skin. His tresses fell in a wet curtain around them and Billie quickly reached up to tug on a few. Tarei’hsan growled and suppressed the urge to bite her, to leave mating marks all down her back. He did not know if this was something  _ oomans _ did when mating and did not want to offend or hurt her. 

As if reading his mind, Billie turned her head so her cheek rested on his arm and asked, “C-can I bite you? I-i’m cumm-”, the last of her words trailing off into a breathy moan.

“ _ S-sei-i _ ” Tarei’hsan ground out through his teeth, barely able to form words anymore. 

With a moan she turned her face back into his arm and bit down into his thick hide hard enough that her blunt teeth drew blood. Her walls clenched around him like a vice as her climax washed over her, her body shaking uncontrollably and her legs close to giving out. 

Her teeth dislodged from his arm and he used it to wrap around her body, pulling her back against his chest and hooking his other hand under one of her knees to give him better access as he continued pounding into her. She mewled as he did, still riding out her orgasm, head lolling against him, eyes closed and lips parted slightly. The sight of his green thwei glistening on her lips was incredibly erotic and he knew he was close. 

His mandibles were still wrapped around her neck, his inner teeth pressed against her shoulder blade and he was again overcome with the need to bite her. Since she had asked him for permission, he would give her the same courtesy.

“C-an bite Billie?” he managed to huff out against her skin. 

“ _ Sei-i. _ ” 

His inner teeth dug into the flesh of her shoulder blade, the copper flavor of her red thwei filling his mouth. That was enough to send him crashing over the edge and he could feel himself pulse as he spilled his hot seed inside her. He rolled his hips up against her, letting her spasming walls milk him of every last drop until no more would fit and he could feel his release dripping down both of their thighs. 

********

Her body exhausted and still buzzing with pleasure, Billie collapsed back against Tarei’hsan. She winced when she felt him pull his sharp teeth from her flesh, but the dull throbbing pain of the wound fell quickly to the background. 

He took her in his arms and settled them back down in the water slowly, her head tucked under his as his mandibles threaded through her hair. Vaguely, she registered him scooping up a handful of water and using it to clean the bite on her back. It stung for a moment before whatever magical properties it had did their job, soothing the cut and stopping the bleeding. 

It was silent between them for a while, both of them enjoying the quiet and each others’ company. 

Billie was the first to break the silence. “I love you.” 

It was all that needed to be said. 

He didn’t respond for a beat and she was worried he didn’t understand what it meant. She was about to turn her head when he nuzzled closer and told her, “ _ Kch-tanu pa'ya-te _ . You are my love.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> dai-shui - mating musk  
> Paya - yautja god  
> thwei - blood  
> sei-i - yes  
> ******
> 
> May or may not have gotten misty eyed at the end there... Don't mind me, just crying over my horny, self-indulgent predator fanfic. 🥺


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end folks. The last chapter should be coming soon, though I'm not sure if it'll be out before the New Year what with all of the festivities. 
> 
> As always, if you find any typos/errors/etc please let me know :)

They stayed in the bath together for a while, and by the time they had crawled out, Billie’s fingers were wrinkled and pruney. When she showed them to Tarei’hsan, he barked out a laugh and wondered aloud why such a thing would even happen. She didn’t know the answer and simply laughed along with him. 

They were slow to put their clothes on, both reluctant to end the time spent together, as if they would suddenly wake up and find it was just a dream. To waste some time, they both asked questions about each other’s clothes that had seemed a tad too personal before. 

As Billie slipped her legs into her underwear, she heard a trill to her right. 

“What… is purpose of that?” She turned her head and found him pointing one claw at the underwear she was currently tugging up. 

“Dunno, exactly. More comfortable? Some folks don’t wear ‘em but I do. Don’t like when my pants rub up against my lady bits,” She told him, circling her hand around her groin to indicate what she meant in case the innuendo was lost on him. Unlike her, he was not shy when talking about his anatomy, using words that made Billie blush. It was definitely something she’d have to get used to. 

His only reply was a pensive trill, telling her he was mulling her words over in his head. She gave him some time to think and focused on pulling her undershirt over her head without straining her sore muscles too much. He had not been wrong when he told her mating with a yautja was tiring. Not that she regretted a second of it. 

“And what is the purpose of  _ that _ ?” She asked him as he pulled on the full body netting he usually wore. 

“Thermal netting. Stores heat and regulates body temperature.” He answered as he slipped his chestplate on. 

“Do yautja get cold a lot?”

“No, but our homeworld is naturally very warm. As such, our bodies did not need to produce much heat internally to keep our body temperature up. Netting was our solution to this problem once we started travelling to planets other than our own.”

“Sooo, yer basically cold-blooded. Just like snakes…” She teased him. He turned his head to fix her with a stare as if offended, though she could tell by the relaxed set of his shoulders it was a ruse. Ever since the day they encountered the rattler, his resemblance to Earth reptiles was something she liked to tease him with. 

“I knew it.” She said with a smile. He simply huffed at her and turned back to continue putting his armor on. 

Once she was dressed, she walked over to him and wrapped her hands around his waist, resting her cheek on the cool metal plate on his back. A rumbling purr started up immediately and she waited like that as he finished equipping the last few parts of his armor. 

As soon as the last strap was fastened, he spun around and picked her up bridal style. She didn’t even have a moment to react before they were forehead to forehead, her yelp of surprise melting into a contented hum. 

“Come, _pa’ya-te_. We must face the day eventually.” 

She ran a thumb across the skin of his mandibles and sighed. “I suppose we do. Dutch is probably wonderin’ where we got off too.”

Tarei’hsan didn’t put her down as he walked out of his ship, the midday sun nearly blinding her as he descended the ramp. He set her down near the remains of their campfire and began to clean up their used glasses from the night before. He didn’t seem to need any help so she turned to go look for the Duchess. 

She didn’t need to search for long because soon enough the dark bay colored horse was trotting up to her, stomping her hooves and nudging Billie with her nose. Clearly someone needed attention. 

“Hey there girl. Did ya miss me? Sorry I left you alone all mornin’, I was… busy with Tarei’hsan.” 

She wasn’t sure which snort was louder, the one from her horse or the one from the alien behind her. By the look in her horse’s eyes, she knew exactly what had gone down between them that night and Billie almost found herself wishing for a stupider horse. But she did have the Duchess to thank for bringing her and Tarei’hsan together, so she would forgive her just this once. 

Tarei’hsan walked past the two and gave the Duchess a little scritch on the nose before walking back into his ship to put things away. Billie pulled out an oat cake for the horse, who gobbled it up as if it was the first time she’d eaten in weeks before immediately sniffing around for more treats. 

It did not take long for them to clean up and they soon found themselves sitting side by side on a log outside planning what to do next. 

“I was thinkin’ I’d like to stock up on some stuff before we head out If that is alright with you?.” Billie told the alien next to her. She wanted to bring some comforts from home on the journey, but also didn’t want to overstep. He was already giving up his spaceship just to bring the Duchess along.

He turned to her and fixed her with a serious gaze. “You can bring anything you would like, you do not need to ask me for permission.” Billie nodded and could feel her cheeks getting hot at the intensity at which he told her this. Didn’t he know how sweet he was?

“Though, maybe no more horses… one is enough.” He added with a chuckle. 

“Darn. How’d you know what I was plannin’?” She said with a laugh as she bumped him with her shoulder. 

“How long do you think that should take? The journey to and from my friend should take a bit less than two of your  _ ooman _ weeks.” 

“Shouldn’t be that long. Though… I also have some other business I want to take care of. Been meanin’ to ask you if you’d be willin’ to drop me off somewhere before you leave.” 

“ _ Sei-i _ . Of course. Just tell me where.” 

*****

A few hours later, Billie and the Duchess watched from a ways away as the spaceship ascended into the sky, breaking through one of the fluffy white clouds that hung in the sky, and disappeared from view. 

Billie stared up at the sky long after he was gone. She could feel a seed of doubt blooming in the back of her mind. What if he didn’t come back? What if something happened to him or he had a change of heart? And how the hell would she move on with her life if she never saw him again? 

She shook her head violently then, as if attempting to shake the thoughts out of her head. Tarei’hsan was nothing if not a man of his word. He was coming back in two weeks and they would meet in the exact same spot he left her at, next to the big outcropping of rock on the hill that overlooked the little town below. 

Not giving herself another chance to doubt anything, she hopped on the Duchess and started to make her way down the rocky slope to meet with the main road that led into town. Her hometown. 

She hadn’t been back in close to five years, but it still looked exactly the same as she remembered it. Same general store, same sheriff's office. She passed the saloon and found it was still missing one of its swinging doors, though she couldn’t be sure if it was the same door that was missing. When she was growing up, it seemed like every week there was a new story about some rowdy bar fight getting out of hand and breaking the saloon’s doors. 

It was getting close to sundown, but there were still people milling about. Some of the faces she passed were familiar and others not. If anyone recognized her they didn’t say anything to her. Though, to their credit she had changed a lot since she’d last been here. 

She debated stopping in at the saloon or general store, but knew that doing that would just be putting off the inevitable. Better to get a handle on where exactly she’d be staying before doing anything else. She followed the main road out of the heart of the town, where it broke off in many different directions, leading to the different houses on the outskirts. 

The path leading to her house still had the same red mailbox sitting crooked on the post, just like it had always been. The red paint was faded and peeling now and she could barely make out the word ‘Mayfield’ on the side. She had painted it with her dad and her mother had been so angry when she found the two of them covered in more red paint than the mailbox. As she turned to head up to the house, Billie ran a hand over the top of it, feeling a lump forming in her throat as she did. 

She dismounted near the stables by the house. She was about to tie the Dutchess up when a dun colored stallion trotted up to the fence. 

“Hey there Ocho!” Billie greeted the horse happily, patting him on the nose. He was one of the Duchess’s siblings, another of the many spawn of the Duke. He was, in fact, the eighth, hence the name. The two horses were fond of each other and Ocho always used to follow his older sister around in the fields. The Duchess looked excited to see him again so Billie pushed the gate open so the Duchess and Ocho could spend some time together. 

Once the two horses had ran off, Billie turned to face the house, taking in a deep breath to steel her frazzled nerves. Looking over everything, it felt like she could have been gone for five days instead of five years. There was the willow tree she had fallen out of more times than she could count slightly to the left, an old frayed rope still hanging from one of its branches. The big rocking chair her father used to sit in after a long day was still on the porch, and she could still picture him sleeping there with his hat over his head as she made her way up the stairs to the front door, the old floorboards squeaking beneath her boots. 

Without giving herself a moment to chicken out, she knocked on the door, the sound echoing through the old house. She could hear shuffling and a few mumbled curses from somewhere inside, making her heart rate pick up. By the time she heard the person on the other side fiddling with the locks, her heart was beating so hard she could swear it would beat right out of her chest. She wanted to run away, but it was much too late for that, and her feet felt like they were glued in place. 

The door swung open and she was immediately greeted with a small, plump, and very irate woman waving a rolling pin in her face. “I don’t want to buy nothin’, ya hear me? Do you even know what time it is? Who bothers an old widow at dinnertime anyway?” She finished with a huff. 

“Hi, mama.” Billie choked out, her eyes starting to well with tears. Save for a few more grey hairs and some age lines, her mother looked the same as she ever did. Billie had inherited her mother’s thick, dark hair, dark eyes, and brown skin. But that’s where the similarities ended. Her mother was petite and curvaceous, where Billie was tall and flat as a board. Those had all come from her father. 

Her mother paused from her rant and her eyes finally focused enough on the person in front of her for recognition to flash across her face. “Wha- Willow!? Is that you?” Her mouth hung open in surprise and the rolling pin in her hand clattering to the floor. It started to roll away but Billie caught it under the toe of her boo

“It’s me, mama.” she whispered, standing there unsure of what to do or say, unshed tears still clouding her vision as she stared at her mother. Would she be angry? Turn her away at the threshold and tell her to never come back? Billie didn’t know what she would do if that happened.

“What-? Why’re you here? Are you okay? Are you in some kinda trouble?!” Her mother asked her, each question increasing the panic in her voice. Billie wanted to feel hurt that her mother thought she would only visit if she needed something, but it made sense. Why else would her daughter appear on her doorstep after disappearing for five years?

“No, I’m okay… can I, uh, come in?” Billie stumbled over her words as she spoke. 

“Yes! Come in, come in.” Billie’s mother moved out of the doorframe to let Billie pass. Billie bent down to grab the rolling pin from under her boot and handed it to her mother as she crossed the threshold. It felt like she was stepping into a stranger’s home, despite nothing changing in her absence. 

There was a delicious smell wafting through the house that made Billie’s stomach grumble. As if reading her mind her mother said, “I’m making some enchiladas for Old Mr. O’Neil down the road. His 90th is coming up and this is apparently what he wanted. I just need to check on them for a second.” 

“Take yer time.” Billie said as she lingered in the family room, before remembering to go take off her hat and boots and leave them in the hall. “Can’t believe Mr. O’Neil is still kicking.” 

“That man is too stubborn to die, I tell ya! Always such a thorn in my side.” Her mother hollered from the kitchen, making Billie laugh. Mr. O’Neil was their nextdoor neighbor and his wife had watched Billie when she was little and her parents were busy. When she had died, Billie’s mother had stepped up to take care of the old man, often cooking him dinner and fixing his clothes. 

“Should be ready soon, want me to fix you up a plate?” 

“Yes, please. Smells great, mama.” Billie was relieved her mother was inviting her to stay for dinner. She had expected her to slam the door in her face as soon as she realized who it was. 

Bille settled down her dad’s old armchair, draped with a blanket her mother had knitted for them at some point. She idly played with one of the loose threads as she waited for her mother, listening to the familiar sounds of the kitchen as the sun began to set outside. 

Eventually, her mother came in with two steaming plates piled high with food. She handed one to Billie and set the other one down on the coffee table as she made herself comfortable in a seat across the way. 

The two women ate in silence, Billie shoveling food into her mouth as if she’d been starving. The enchiladas were nice and spicy, just like she liked them. Nothing beat her mom’s cooking and she hadn’t realized just how much she missed it until now. She was finished in record time and placed her empty plate down in front of her. 

After a moment, Billie coughed awkwardly, getting herself ready to speak, but her mother beat her to the punch. “Look at you, girl. Too nervous to talk to yer own mama! And yer gettin’ skinny, too. Let me get you some more.” 

She started to stand up but Billie stopped her. “No, no. I’m okay.” She looked up at her mother and had to fight to keep the emotion from her voice as the words she’d been working up the courage to say started spilling out. “And… I’m sorry. For everythin’. For leavin’ you all by yer lonesome after daddy died. For not comin’ back for five years. For never bein’ the daughter you wanted.” 

Her mom opened her mouth but Billie stopped her. “I came cuz I’m leavin’. I-I met someone. You won’t approve of him or nothin’, but he’s a good man and I love him. We’re goin’ far away together and we won’t be back. But I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. Not again.” Billie couldn’t stop the tears from falling now. “A-and I brought you some money. I got a hefty reward for savin’ a man from a train robbery. Plus all of the extra cash I’ve earned. For you. I know it don’t make up for nothin’, but it’s the least I could do.” 

“Oh, Billie...” Her mother’s voice warbled as she came to settle down into the armchair with Billie, wrapping her arms around her daughter’s neck and bringing her head to rest on her shoulder, using her fingers to comb through Billie’s hair like she used to do when she was little. 

“I know we never saw eye to eye, and I won’t lie and say there weren’t times I wished we were closer. Just like I’ve sometimes wondered what my life would be like if I hadn’t met yer father in that saloon all them years ago…” 

Her mother didn’t need to continue, the meaning behind her words clear to Billie. Her mother and father had slept together after a rowdy night at a saloon down in Arizona. It was meant to be a casual thing between strangers but when her mom got pregnant, her father had done the honorable thing and married her. Luckily for them both, they turned out to be compatible and fell in love later, but it was a long road to get there. Her mother’s parents were staunch Catholics and had disowned her as soon as they had learned of the pregnancy. Billie couldn’t blame her for sometimes wanting a different life. 

“But yer always my daughter, no matter what. I love you, even if I don’t understand yer lifestyle or nothin’. I just want you to be happy.” Her mom finished with a hard squeeze to Billie’s shoulder. 

“I want you to be happy too, mama.” Bille said, her voice a horse whisper. “That’s why I want you to take the money. You can buy yerself a new house in some big city. Find yerself a handsome widower with a bunch of kids that’ll give you grandbabies to spoil.” 

Her mother sighed sadly. “I-I can’t just leave this place. Leave yer father.” 

“He wouldn’t want you wastin’ the rest of yer life away here, all by yer lonesome. He’d want you to go have a good life. Just like I do.” 

“You know, I’m pretty sure he said the same thing to me near the end.” Her mother said with a wry laugh and a shake of the head. “You sure are yer father’s daughter.” 

Despite her swirling emotions, Billie couldn’t suppress the smile that spread across her face. Her mother brushed a strand of hair out of Billie’s face, tucking it behind her ear gently. 

“Don’t think I’m tryin’ to force you out or nothin’, mama, just think about it. But take the money. Please. For my peace of mind at least.” 

“I’ll think about it, I promise. But in return you have to tell me ‘bout this man of yers.” 

Billie shot her mom a look, finding the woman staring back at her with an impish grin. Billie could feel her ears heating up and she made a face. 

“Oh c’mon, now. I don’t get out much anymore and me and the other ladies ‘round town hardly ever meet up for some gossip nowadays. I have to know who this man is who’s makin’ Miss Billie Mayfield blush.” 

“Alright, alright. Fine.” Billie conceded with an annoyed huff, though the side of her mouth was quirked up in a smile. “He’s, uhhh…” Shit, how was she going to do this without letting it slip he was not exactly human. “He’s a bounty hunter of sorts. Not from ‘round here.” Understatement of the century. 

“We met by accident. Crossed paths when one of his… bounties started causing havoc in a town near where I was stayin’. We decided to work together to take the guy out and just never stopped workin’ together.” 

“Is he handsome?” 

Billie felt her face get even hotter and only managed to nod her head yes, suddenly tongue-tied. 

“Well what does he look like, girl? What color is his hair?” 

“Black. And long.” Billie said, wishing Tarei’hsan was her just so she could run her hands through his tresses again. 

“And his eyes?” 

“Kinda golden. ‘Specially in the sun.” Billie didn’t want to lie to her mother, so she thought that keeping things vague was the best route to take right now. 

“How about his face? He got a nice nose? A strong jaw?” 

Billie’s mind instantly flashed to Tarei’hsan’s mandibles. “ _ Very _ strong jaw.” She said with a giggle. 

“And he’s good to you?” 

“Do you think I’d tolerate a man who wasn’t good to me?” 

“No, ‘cuz yer mama taught you well.” It was her mom’s turn to laugh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:  
> pa'ya-te - love  
> sei-i - yes  
> *******
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed Billie's reunion with her mom... I didn't want her leaving Earth without at least attempting to reconcile with her mother. 
> 
> Also, I've always imagined Billie to be part Mexican, despite her white sounding name. I hope this chapter gave a little bit of context for that. I think I mentioned in the story before that she was named after the desert willow trees that are common in the American Southwest.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last guys, here is the last chapter of this story. It's pretty long and could easily be split into two parts, but ending on 31 chapters instead of 30 would drive me crazy, ya feel? 
> 
> When I started writing this, it was just a little something I thought would be like 10 chapters. Now it's something like 120 pages in my Google Docs. I never could have finished this without all the support from you guys and the sweet comments you always left, so thank you for sticking around <3

Billie spent the next two weeks at home with her mother. She helped around the house, tended to the animals, repaired a few small things, even did a few deliveries to some folks in town. In her free time she stocked up on some supplies to bring with her - extra sets of clothes, new horseshoes and a saddle for Dutch, some of her favorite foods, and a whole mess of bullets. She knew Tarei’hsan was more than capable of providing for her, a few creature comforts from Earth were sure to come in handy. Something about knowing there would at least be a few familiar things within reach made this whole leaving Earth thing less daunting. 

Things at home were peaceful and Billie couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend her last few days on Earth. The Duchess was having the time of her life socializing with the other horses, trotting around the fields with them and making sure they all knew who was the boss. Billie and her mother had reached some sort of understanding and were getting along great, reminiscing and telling stories every time they sat down to eat. 

She spent the day before she was due to meet up with Tarei’hsan organizing her things, making sure she had everything she needed and that it was stored nicely near the barn so she didn’t have to do any packing tomorrow. 

By the time the sun was setting, she had nothing else left to do but sit on the porch and watch the Duchess frolic in the fields. She had a stick in her hands and was using a knife to whiddle the end into a point, for no other reason than to keep her hands busy. 

“Billie!” her mom shouted from somewhere in the house, and she almost cut her thumb when she jumped at the unexpected noise. 

“Be right there, mama.” She called back, getting to her feet and brushing the wood shavings from her lap. She slid off her muddy boots and left them at the door before starting to search the house for her mom, the old wooden floorboards creaking under her feet. 

She checked the living room and found it empty. Same with the kitchen. She headed up the narrow stairway and when the top step squeaked under her weight her mom called out, “In here.” The voice was coming from her parents’ bedroom and she ducked in, finding her mother sitting on the bed with a small box in her lap. 

Her mother patted the blanket next to her, motioning for Billie to come sit next to her. Once Billie settled herself, her mother flipped open the lid to the box. Inside were the few pieces of jewelry her mother owned. Billie recognized the brooch her mother would always wear to church on Sundays. 

“Know what this is?” her mom asked as she grabbed a gold ring set with a small yet still beautiful diamond, the afternoon light catching on it and making it sparkle. She was pretty sure she’d never seen it before, but then again, Billie had never been that interested in jewelry. She shook her head. 

“No? Well that ain’t too surprising. I don’t take it out of this box all that much.” Her mother reached down to grab one of Billie’s hands and slipped the ring onto one of her fingers. Billie quirked an eyebrow, wondering where her mom was going with this. 

“It’s a family heirloom. Used to be your great-great grandma’s and it’s been passed down to the eldest daughter each generation.”

“But how did you- ?” Billie trailed off, not wanting to dredge up painful memories for her mother. 

“My grandma wasn’t too happy when my mama disowned me. Ended up stealing the ring from her and sneaking it to me the day before your father and I got married. Never did wear it since yer father got me an engagement ring of my own.” she said as she fiddled with the wedding ring on her finger. 

There was a pause before her mother turned to look Billie in the eyes. “I want you to have it. You are my eldest daughter after all.” 

“Mama-” Billie started to protest but her mother was having none of it. 

“Hush now. I’ve already made up my mind. The ring is yours. That way, you’ll always remember yer mama no matter where you are.” Her voice warbled at the end and Billie could already feel the hot tear running down her cheek. 

“Don’t need no ring to know you’ll always be with me. Just like dad is always with us.” She slipped the ring off of her finger and turned it around in her hands a few times. “But thank you. This… this means a lot.” 

Billie dug her pocketwatch out of her pocket and slid the ring onto the chain, the metal colliding with a light thunk. Her mother reached out a hand and traced the little inscription on the pocketwatch with a finger before planting a kiss to Billie’s temple. 

“Was there anythin’ else you wanted to take with you? This house is full of old stuff and I know yer a sentimental fool just like yer daddy.”

Billie smiled. As if her mom wasn’t the one who kept everything for all these years. But she didn’t say that. Instead she just said, “What about dad’s old guitar? Is that still around?”

“‘Course it is, though it’ll need a good tune up.” 

“And what about the blanket downstairs? The one on dad’s armchair?”

“Well, I don’t want you gettin’ cold on your grand adventures, now.” Her mom said with playful punch to the shoulder. 

*********

Tarei’hsan sat stiffly in the pilot’s seat of his new ship, the stars outside streaking brightly across his helmet, though he didn’t register a single one. He was too lost in his thoughts now to think of anything other than  _ her _ .

He had always led a solitary life, moreso than most yautja because of his arbitrator duties. His assignments often took him away from the clanship for extended periods of time and he spent most of his leisure time on hunts. So he was used to being alone, he found it comforting, able to relax without having anyone breathing down his neck. 

But now, the solitude felt more like a curse than a blessing. Billie had only been his partner for a short while, but he found himself missing her. Missing her scent, her soft skin, the sound of her voice, settling down with her by the fireside after a long day. Now that he had found someone he wanted to share his life with, he was not sure he would ever be able to go back to being alone. 

He had rushed through the exchange of ships without more than a few cursory words to his friend  Dhi'rauta , eager to get back to her as quickly as possible.  Dhi'rauta had asked for details of his hunt on Earth and an explanation for why he wanted to trade ships so suddenly, but Tarei’hsan had only responded with grunts as they moved boxes from one ship to the other. 

He was not ready to let  Dhi'rauta know about Billie, waiting to get her settled before telling anyone. He had done a thorough job of cleaning the inside of his old ship, erasing any leftover scents so his friend would not know there had been an  _ ooman _ onboard. 

Dhi'rauta had been persistent though, not satisfied with Tarei’hsan’s lack of an explanation. Eventually he had given in, saying that he finally decided to purchase his own _kwei’ctei_ to aid him in his hunts. It was not a lie, really, and Dhi’rauta had always known Tarei’hsan had a propensity to the animals. It was enough to satisfy Dhi’rauta and end his pestering. 

The two yautja had then parted ways, but not before making plans to meet on the small moon where the  _ kwei’ctei _ were bred. Tarei’hsan promised he would tell him the story of his fight with the  _ ic’jit  _ there before ascending up the ramp of his new ship and taking off. 

The rest of the trip back to the  _ ooman _ planet was spent organizing his stuff. And when he wasn’t doing that he was worrying - just like he was right now. What if Billie wasn’t there when he came to get her? If something happened to her and he wasn’t able to protect her? Or even worse, if she had changed her mind and wanted to stay? He was not sure if he would be able to handle the possibility. 

The soft beeping of sensors shook him from his trance, alerting him that he was approaching Earth. The small blue planet popped into view as his ship dropped from hyperspace and he took a deep breath before plugging in the commands to start the landing sequence. 

When he landed in the same spot he had left Billie, it was dark. In his haste to get back he had arrived a few hours earlier than their planned meeting time. He knew that he should simply wait for her, to have the patience an arbitrator should. But he found himself swiveling to get out of the pilot’s chair as soon as the ship touched down. He couldn’t wait. Not with all of these thoughts swirling around in his head. He just needed to know she was nearby and safe, then he would go back to the ship and wait for her. 

He stepped out of his ship, feet meeting dry earth that had become so familiar to him. Turning his cloaking on, he set off for the nearby town where Billie said she would be staying. As he silently leapt from rooftop to rooftop, he picked up faint traces of her scent throughout town. It instantly put him at ease, knowing she was close, that she hadn’t run away. 

He tracked her scent to an area where the buildings became less dense, separated by large swaths of land. It led him to an  _ ooman _ dwelling with a stable next to it, where he spotted the Duchess grazing among the other horses. Next to the house was a large tree with billowing branches and small pink flowers. A desert willow, Tarei’hsan recalled. Billie had told him the name for the tree one night by the fire, explaining that she had been named after them because her sire had a fondness for the trees. He had been confused when she told him this; her name was  _ Billie _ . She had laughed then, the sound making his heart beat faster, and tried to explain the concept of ‘nicknames’ to him. He had not understood their purpose or how she had gotten ‘Billie’ from ‘Willow’. 

He smiled fondly at the memory as he brushed his hand over the tree’s bark. He settled himself on one of the branches and turned to examine the house. His mask picked up a heat signature on the upper floor where a dim light shined in one of the windows. It belonged to a short, plump _ooman_. A female if he had to guess. But it was not Billie. 

He was about to start searching again for her when he heard a door close and the familiar tinkling of metal. His heart thrummed in his chest as he watched Billie walk across the grass towards the tree he was perched in. Did she know he was there? No, that was impossible. He was cloaked and it was nighttime. Then what was she doing out here? 

His question was soon answered when she stopped next to a flat stone that was jutting out of the ground. She had a stick in her hand, one of the ends sharpened, and she drove it into the dirt next to the stone before running her hand over the slightly curved top. 

There was a wet droplet running down her cheek - a tear. It was something that  _ oomans _ did when they were sad or upset and he immediately wanted to go and comfort her. But then he saw her lips curve into a small smile before they began to move as she whispered something he couldn’t make out. Now he was unsure if she was upset or not. 

Before he could really think about it, a small trill escaped him and Billie’s head whipped up. Her brows knitted in confusion as she looked around for the source of the noise.

“Tarei’hsan?” she whispered into the night air.

Knowing she could not see him, he jumped down from his perch and landed softly near her. He did not drop his cloaking as he approached her, instead letting out a purr from deep in his chest. 

“Billie” he rumbled. 

She closed the distance between them, colliding into his chest before wrapping her arms around his waist tightly. His own arms snaked around her to pull her closer to him as he tucked her head under his chin. 

They stayed like that for a moment, just basking in each others’ presence before Billie broke the silence. “I missed you,” she breathed. 

“Is that why you are crying?” he teased. 

She pulled her face away from him for a second to look at where his face would be. His mask allowed him to see how her face heated up before she quickly scrambled to wipe the water from her cheeks with the back of her hand. He chuckled, which earned him a light tug of his tresses. 

“I’m not cryin’...” she protested, though he could hear the smile in her voice. “I’m just sayin’ goodbye to my daddy.” She motioned to the stone next to them. 

Tarei’hsan was momentarily confused before he recalled that  _ oomans _ often buried their dead. A quick scan of the ground underneath them told him there were  _ ooman _ remains there. This stone must be a marker, then. 

Tarei’hsan kept one arm looped around her waist and reached to touch the top of the stone like he had seen her do. In his head, he silently thanked her sire for giving her the watch that brought them together. 

He eventually lowered his hand and wrapped his arm around Billie again, resting his forehead against hers. Now that she was with him again, he would never let her go. 

“Are we leavin’ now?” Tarei’hsan could detect the hesitation in her voice.

“ _ H’ko _ . We do not need to. I arrived early and… could not wait to see you again.” He was reluctant to admit this to her, but when he saw the way her nose scruched up and heard her quiet laugh he knew it was worth it. 

“Shucks, mister. You sure know how to charm a girl.” 

He purred for her again and she nuzzled her head against his. 

“Do you mind if I stay here for the night? My mama will be expecting me tomorrow morning and I don’t wanna leave without givin’ a proper goodbye.” 

The female inside the house must be her bearer, then. He wondered what she was like, if she was anything like Billie. “ _ Sei-i _ . Stay the night. I will meet you in the same spot I left you. Is there anything you need me to do?” 

“Actually, all of the stuff I wanna bring with me is already packed. I set it out next to the barn, you can’t miss it. Would you mind bringin’ them to the ship for me?”

“Of course.”

“And don’t peak. There is a surprise in one of the boxes for you.” 

Tarei’hsan’s curiosity was piqued but he promised her he would wait. Billie ran her knuckles down the side of his mask, her hand settling under his jaw before she tugged his head forward and planted a light kiss on the cool metal, right over where his mandibles would be. 

“G’night. See ya tomorrow.” She whispered to him, not making any move to part from him, not that Tarei’hsan was complaining. A gust of cool wind blew over them and he felt her shiver slightly in his arms, little bumps forming on the skin of her arms as the fine hair there stood up. He ran his warm palms down her arms, trying to rub some of his warmth into her. When he reached her hands, he - reluctantly - pulled them from where they were laced around his waist and took a step back. Billie huffed, clearly not ready to part from him yet, but acquiesced when he pressed his forehead to hers. 

Tarei’hsan watched her as she walked across the grass and back into the house. He did not move even when the door shut with a squeak, instead using his biomask to watch her heat signature move through the house. It was only when she settled down into her bed for the night that he turned and went to the barn to gather her things. 

*****

After taking care of Billie’s things, Tarei’hsan had settled himself outside of his ship, lounging against the trunk of a tree. Despite his excitement for the day ahead, he drifted off to sleep easily, owing to the fact he had barely rested since he last left the planet. All his free time had been spent getting the ship ready; fiddling with the controls, storing his weapons in the  _ kehrite _ , and remounting his trophies in their new display. 

He didn’t stir until he felt the familiar vibrations of hoofbeats in the ground underneath him. Quickly shaking off the sleep, he rose to his feet just as Billie and the Duchess came into view. Bringing the horse to a stop, Billie didn’t even dismount, just leapt straight at him. 

He caught her easily, hands running greedily along her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her spurs dug into the small of his back but he ignored them entirely. With a happy laugh, Billie nuzzled into him, a gesture which he returned in kind, his purr joining into the sound of her laughs. 

There was a pressure against his side and he could feel something furry wedging itself between the two of them. Looking down, they saw The Duchess’s long nose trying to make its way into their embrace. Tarei’hsan let out a trill of laughter at the horse’s antics before making room for her to join them. 

“Looks like Dutchie missed you too.” Billie laughed as the horse started nibbling at the end of her braid. Tarei’hsan shifted to place Billie back down on the ground and reached up with one hand to pat along the horse’s neck. 

The three of them were so absorbed in their little reunion that they failed to notice the sound of hooves before it was too late. The rider pulled up next to them and dismounted before they had even disentangle themselves from one another. 

Tarei’hsan felt himself tense, as the rider’s eyes took stock of both him and his ship.  _ C’jit _ , how could he be so careless? He was about to release his  _ dah'kte _ when Billie said something that made his heart skip a beat. 

“Mama?! What are you doin’ here?” 

This was her bearer? She was a plump woman and much smaller than Billie, just barely over 5  _ noks _ tall. She had the same brown skin and dark hair, though her’s was streaked with silver - much like how a yautja’s tresses turned grey as they aged. Her eyes were dark and shrewd as they passed over him, ignoring Billie’s question entirely, and he instinctively helf himself straighter as he would under any elder female’s scrutiny. 

“I- I can explain!” Billie stuttered, taking a step towards her bearer. 

“Don’t bother, cuz I ain’t askin’ no questions!” She huffed in the same lilted drawl that Billie had when she spoke. 

Her eyes finally broke away from Tarei’hsan to to look at her daughter and Billie blinked in surprise, evidently at a loss for words. That didn’t stop the older woman, who simply marched up to them and shoved something into Billie’s hands. 

“I forgot to give you these before you left. Homemade enchiladas for the ride. And I wrote down the recipe… in case you ever want to cook them yourself.” Tarei’hsan watched as a fat tear rolled down the woman’s face. 

With a choked sob, Billie threw her arms around her bearer and wrapped her in a tight hug. Tarei’hsan listened as they both whispered something to each other in a language he did not recognize or understand, before they drew back from one another. 

The woman pulled Billie down to give her one last kiss on the forehead and finally parted from her daughter with a shaky breath before turning and mounting her horse. She took the reins in hand and turned back to Tarei’hsan. 

“You best take care of my girls, now. Ya hear me?” 

Tarei’hsan nodded and pounded a fist into his chest. “You have my word.” 

With a tip of her hat, the woman bid the duo a final farewell before she snapped the reins and ushered her horse back the way they had come. 

Billie stood there, unmoving, with the tray still in her hands. He stepped toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. His touch shocked her out of whatever stupor she was in and she blinked rapidly up at him. 

“Your bearer is much like you.” He rumbled down at her. 

Billie mulled over his words from a moment before flashing him a crooked smile. 

*****

Billie sat beside Tarei’hsan as he steered the ship up, up, up. She wrung her hands in her lap as the ground disappeared, blocked by a layer of fluffy white clouds. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest she was sure it would break through her ribs and flop out onto the floor. Soon, they were farther up than they had ever gone and Billie saw the curve of the Earth slowly come into view. 

It took a moment for her to find her footing on shaky legs, but she eventually managed to stand and move closer to the window. She looked down on the little blue and green sphere floating there gently below them. Every person she’d ever known, every  _ thing _ she’d ever known was all on this circle that she could cover up with one hand. She wasn’t exactly sure what to think of all of this, her mind buzzing with too many conflicting emotions to even start making sense of them. 

In the end, all she could really do was breathe out an astonished, “Woah.”

From behind her came the almost imperceptible glide of the pilot’s chair spinning around and she soon felt a large, warm mass behind her. She sighed and settled back into Tarei’hsan’s chest, his arms coming up to wrap around her own, using the rough pad of one of his thumbs to rub circles into the skin near her elbow. 

She tipped her head back to look up at him, finding him looking down at her with soft eyes. She flashed him a warm smile that he returned in kind before rumbling out a question. the sound of it reverberating through her body and leaving her feeling tingly. She was sure she would never tire of that feeling. 

“What are you thinking?” From her position on his chest, the sound of his voice reverberated through her body and left her feeling tingly. She was sure she would never tire of that feeling. 

“Dunno, exactly. Gonna miss everything. Don’t like it when I don’t feel in control. Nervous about the unknown.” She started rambling off the thoughts scrambling around in her brain, attempting to untangle them and make some sense of it. Her fragmented sentences didn’t phase him, though, and he nodded at each of her statements. From anyone else it would have felt patronizing, but she knew him. Knew that he was considering each of her words, mulling them over and attempting to understand her point of view. 

He had never dismissed her or treated her as below him, even though he could have easily done so. She was used to that, people underestimating her and treating her as less than because she was a woman or because she was half-Mexican. From the beginning - before they had even met, it seemed - he had been intrigued by her and respected her skills. It was an unexpected change of pace that always left her feeling warm inside and she couldn’t help flashing him a bright smile. 

“But also excited to go explore. ‘Specially with you, mister.” She added with a playful nudge of her elbow. 

He trilled back at her with a smile of his own as she wiggled herself around in his arms, turning so that she was facing him. She placed a soft peck onto one of his shoulders and felt his grip tighten around her. 

“I have a gift for you. It’s nothin’ much, just a little token to show my appreciation.” 

He released her, arms falling to his side as she went to retrieve the box his present was in from the rest of her stuff, still sitting in a pile near the entrance. There would be time to unpack later. 

When she stepped back over to him and held out the box, he looked it over curiously. “I have never received a gift from a female before. It is usually the other way around,” he told her before taking the box from her. 

Without further ceremony, he opened the box, eyes flickering over the contents without recognition for a beat before he threw his head back in a loud bellowing laugh. 

Billie laughed too. “Thought I’d get you yer very own cowboy hat. One that fits that big ol’ head.” 

He was already taking the hat out of the box and placing it on his head. She had chosen a soft reddish-brown leather that she thought went well with his armor. Looking at him now she decided she chose right. As soon as it was on his head he struck his cowboy pose, widening his stance and looping his thumbs in his belt. 

As soon as they both caught each other’s eyes they burst into laughter. No doubt he was an unusual sight, a yautja in a cowboy hat, but they were an unusual pair. It made sense. 

Tarei’hsan pulled her back into his chest, leaning down towards her so the brims of their hats were bumping against each other. “Now we really match,” he trilled happily. 

Billie was suddenly struck by just how much she loved this man. This utterly inhuman, seven foot tall alien man with mandibles and skin like a snake. But that just added to his charm. She ran her hands down his abdomen slowly, appreciating the taught musculature there, the unique patterning of grey and brown and black that graced his flanks. 

It awoke a white-hot ribbon of lust in her and when she looked up again her eyes met his hotly.

An idea popped into her head and with a sly grin, she used the hands still on him to walk him backwards back towards the pilot’s chair. She held his gaze the whole time, his golden eyes molten with desire. From under her hand she could feel his purr kick up, vibrations running through her arms and right to her core. When the backs of his legs met the edge of the seat, she shoved him down hard, eliciting a growl from him. 

Without any fanfare, she kicked off her boots and tossed her hat to the ground, neither of their eyes turning to look where they landed. When she started to unbuckle her belt, his hands came up to help her, no doubt impatient and wanting to speed things along. 

She batted his hands away and cocked an eyebrow at him. “Hands to yourself.” She chided, waggling a finger at him playfully. 

“My pardon, female.” He huffed out, voice lower than normal. The feeling of this large, powerful, experienced man deferring to her, of the control she had over him, sent frisson through her body. 

She continued stripping off her clothes one by one, deliberately taking her time unbuttoning each button of her shirt, slowly wiggling her pants down until they pooled around her feet. By the time she was in nothing but her underwear, he was breathing heavily, chest heaving with every large breath he took. His claws were digging into the arms of the chair, clearly struggling to maintain his composure, but he did not move a muscle the whole time. 

Billie’s mouth felt suddenly dry and she licked her lips, his eyes following the small movement. There was a beat of silence before she said, “Take off your clothes.”

It felt a little strange, ordering him around like this, but he seemed to love it. He was on his feet in the blink of an eye, standing up so close to her that they were chest to chest, his rough hide teasing her nipples, making them harden with each small movement he made as he moved to unstrap his chestplate. He had found a little loophole to her ‘no hands’ rule and was exploiting it to the fullest. There was no doubt he knew what he was doing to her - if the grin on his face was anything to go by - but she stayed firmly in place and didn’t react to any of his little provocations.

She had no such rule to follow and liberally ran her hands over each piece of exposed skin that he revealed to her, playing with the little quills that dotted his hide. When he was just in his loincloth her hands darted down to grasp it before he could and she tugged it away for him, unable to suppress her mischievous giggle. 

His hands came to rest right over her hips, claw points ghosting above her flesh but not touching. Oh he was good. “Have more of these?” he questioned, and it took a few beats for Billie’s lust addled brain to realize he had asked her a question. 

“Yes-?” She started to answer, confused, but it was already too late. His claws had already looped into the hem of her underwear and he swiftly tore it off of her in one fluid motion. 

Before she could react he was already sitting back down in the chair with a chuff, clearly proud of himself. His cock was already out of its sheath, standing up throbbing and hard against his abdomen. 

“Think yer funny?” She scolded him as she moved to straddle him in the chair, placing her hands on his shoulders before she pressed herself against him and started to rub his cock between her already wet folds. Underneath her, every one of his muscles tensed at the sensation, but still he kept from touching her, still waiting for her permission. 

She bowed her head down to nip at his chest a few times and he growled as his hips bucked up into hers. One of the ridges of his cock brushed against her clit just right and she let out a soft moan. As fun as it was teasing him like this, she couldn’t wait any longer. 

“Touch me.” She breathed against him. He didn’t need any more prompting, his palms suddenly all over her, running over her sides, grasping handfuls of her ass and thighs as if she would disappear if he let go. One of his hands snaked up her back, claws tracing her spine before tugging her hair free of its braid. She shook out her hand and his hand tangled through her thick locks, coming to rest right at the nape of her neck. 

She was pleased to find that though she had given him permission to touch her, he was still letting her take the initiative. She continued to rub herself along his length, growing wetter with each passing moment until she could feel her thighs slick with moisture. She grabbed a hold of his cock and pressed it at her entrance, but at the last moment let it slip out. He growled lowly at her and she laughed again, grasping at a few black tendrils of his tress and tugging lightly before she worked her way onto his cock for real this time. 

Both of them let loose a moan of pleasure at the feeling. Billie tipped her head back and he wrapped his mandibles around her neck, his tongue coming out to lick up her throat, lapping at the place her pulse was strongest. 

He kept himself still as she worked his cock slowly into her, patient as she opened herself up to his size. When she had finally taken him down to the base, she started to rock her hips in earnest. He took that as his cue to start thrusting up into her, his grip on her thighs almost bruising, and she stuttered out a sigh as he hit every place inside her that set her body on fire. 

As the pleasure mounted and she plummeted head first towards her climax, her limbs started to give out, arms and legs turning to jelly. Tarei’hsan smoothly took over for her, pulling her hips down towards him with each thrust. He repositioned them, leaning her backwards so her back was just touching the controls though he still supported her full weight. He leaned forward to get a better angle and his next thrust was deeper inside her than she had ever felt before. This position caused the quills that dusted his lower abdomen to brush right against her clit and the tension that had been building in her finally snapped. 

She was barely able to choke out the words “I’m cumm-” before her orgasm washed over her, her whole body shaking in pleasure. Her eyes slammed closed and she could swear she saw the stars that glittered beyond the window of the ship behind her eyelids. 

Tarei’hsan continued thrusting a few more times until his own climax washed over him and he spilled himself inside with a sound halfway between a groan and a roar. 

He collapsed back into the seat, bringing Billie with him, laying limply against his chest as they both caught their breath. His hands eventually started tracing patterns lazily along her back and she sighed, completely content. 

When she was sure she could speak again, she turned her head up to look at him. His eyes were closed but when he felt her move he opened them partly, his bright gaze meeting hers through heavy lids. 

“Do...” Billie started, taking another big breath before continuing, “Do you know what they call this position on Earth?” 

“Position? As in sex position?” He queried, his head tilting slightly. 

“ _ Sei-i _ .” 

“What is it called?” He asked, intrigued. 

“Cowgirl.” Billie squeaked out before bursting into a fit of giggles. Tarei’hsan blinked once before understanding dawned on him and he joined in with her laughter. 

*******

At some point, the two of them had untangled themselves from one another long enough for Tarei’hsan to go and grab a cloth to clean them both up with as well as a soft fur from his bed. When he returned, he found Billie standing naked in his kitchen, pulling out two portions of the food that had been her bearer’s parting gift. 

They joined each other back in the pilot’s seat, Tarei’hsan quickly washing them before wrapping Billie up in the fur and settling her in his lap. She took a bite of the food and sighed happily before offering him a piece. 

The flavor of it was not what he expected it at all, it had a heat to it that lingered on his tongue long after he was done. He let out a purr to show he was pleased. 

"They're called enchiladas. My mom makes the best ones." She informed him proudly.

"En-chi-la-das." He sounded out the word slowly. She kissed him on his upper mandible before offering him another piece, which he took eagerly. 

“Spicy.” He told her. He liked spicy things. 

“Yeah, that’s the best part.” Billie told him through a mouthful. 

“If you like spicy, there is fruit that is used to make dish called  _ s’pke _ . Very spicy. Can make for you.” This fruit was uncommon but he knew of a planet a little ways away where the fruit grew. 

“That sounds amazin’. Can we do that first?” Billie looked up at him, eyes big and full of wonder, and he knew that he would agree even if the fruit only grew on the other side of the galaxy. 

“Sei-i.” He nodded to her and punched in the coordinates to the planet. It would take slightly more than four of her Earth days to get there. 

His finger hovered over the button to engage the autopilot, but he turned back to look at his mate. “Ready?” 

He felt her fingers entwine with those on his free hand and he gave him a squeeze. 

“Ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yautja Translations:   
> ic'jit - bad blood  
> H'ko - No  
> kehrite - training room/dojo  
> C'jit - Shit  
> dah'kte - wrist blades  
> noks - unit of measurement, approximately 13 inches  
> Sei-i - Yes  
> s'pke - a type of stew  
> *******
> 
> Sometimes a family is a cowgirl, a 400 pound alien, and their horse daughter. 
> 
> Hopefully this will not be the last we see of Billie/Tarei'hsan. I have plans for them, but I'm not sure if it will be more of an epilogue or a full sequel yet. I will probably be taking a little break and play around with some other stories I've had in the works, though. I just need a little break from these two lovebirds. 
> 
> And if for any reason I never get to writing that epilogue/sequel, just know that Billie and Tarei'hsan live for like a billion years together and also the Duchess is immortal and always with them. <3


End file.
